Mohali: Chargesheet filed against SP, Vigilance

Mohali, February 12

The police have filed a chargesheet in the court against Ashish Kapoor, SP, Vigilance Department, and five others for favoring one of the accused in a case of illegally grabbing forest land at Karoran village in the district.

Kapoor has been accused of removing the affidavits filed by the accused along with High Court judgments submitted in the Supreme Court. The case is to come up for hearing in the court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Mohali, on February 14.

As per the chargesheet, an inquiry was conducted by the Central Administrative Tribunal against executive and administrative functionaries concerning Forest Division, Mohali, the SP, Vigilance Department, and five others to determine whether forest officials acted in violation of the Conduct Rules, and if it finds the commission of a cognisable offence, to take action against them as per the appropriate provisions of the penal laws.

After completion of the inquiry, an instant challan was made to be committed against the said officials and private people in the court of Additional Sessions Judge, Mohali. The permission to investigation was addressed to the Chief Secretary, Punjab, who further asked Kapoor and other accused to join the investigation on May 27, 2021. However, Kapoor refused to join the investigation even after he was summoned thrice, and he also refused to give any reply of a questionnaire sent to him.

Investigation has revealed a sub-committee, comprising the Dy. Divisional Forest Officer, Ropar; the Range Officer, Kharar; the Naib Tehsildar, Majri, and the Naya Gaon SHO, was constituted to assist the committee which submitted an interim report on April 15, 2004. In the said report, it was clearly mentioned that there were violations in a piece of land measuring more than 67 acres by Forest Hill Resort.