Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 22: In a significant decision, the full State Vigilance Commission (SVC) today took strong exception to closure of complaint against two former Speakers of the Legislative Assembly, both of whom were sitting members of the Assembly, by the State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) without mandatory approval of the Commission. The full Commission has summoned all officers, who dealt and investigated the complaint, tomorrow for explanation to it on violation of legal procedure and mode of investigations that made them to file the closure report before the High Court, which too had expressed anguish over the closure of the complaint.
Top official sources told the Excelsior that after going through the Excelsior report that the Vigilance Organisation has filed closure report in complaint of illegal and backdoor appointments made in the Assembly and MLAs Hostel by two former Speakers and that the High Court has expressed anguish over the closure of the complaint, the full SVC held an extra ordinary meeting and took very serious note of the SVO surpassing the Commission to file closure complaint in the High Court without even taking mandatory approval of the Commission.
The full Commission meeting was presided over by the State’s Chief Vigilance Commissioner Kuldeep Khoda and attended by the two Commissioners—Dr RK Jerath and Mrs Gous-ul-Nisa Jeelani.
According to sources, the full Commission took serious note of the SVO decision to file closure complaint in serious matter that involved two former Speakers of Jammu and Kashmir and other officers of the Assembly without taking mandatory approval of the full Commission.
“Under the existing norms and procedure, the State Vigilance Organisation had to inform and take consent of the Vigilance Commission before filing closure report of any complaint or case. However, in this particular case, the Vigilance Organisation didn’t file report before the Commission but straightway before the High Court,’’ sources said, adding that the full Vigilance Commission has written to top officers of the Organisation apprising them about the “wrong precedent’’ set by the Organisation.
The full Commission has summoned all officials of the Vigilance Organisation, who had dealt with the complaint and filed closure report before the High Court including the officials, who supervised investigations in the case and gave nod to the closure report without taking permission of the Vigilance Commission, on April 23 (tomorrow).
“All the officers concerned with the case have been summoned and asked to appear before the full Vigilance Commission tomorrow to explain as to how and why they surpassed the Vigilance Commission and filed closure report in the complaint before the High Court,’’ sources said, adding the Commission was planning to take record and examine it before deciding fate of the case since no less the persons than two former Speakers of the Legislative Assembly, who also happened to be sitting MLAs of previously ruling party, were involved in making illegal and backdoor appointments.
The Vigilance Commission, according to sources, will proceed further in the case after hearing the officers and officials of the Vigilance Organisation tomorrow.
Sources said the Vigilance Commission had obtained reports that two former Speakers of the Legislative Assembly were involved in the case of illegal and backdoor appointments with the connivance of the officials.
“In the case, no advertisements had been issue to invite applications for the posts but the officials simply processed the cases and the appointment orders were issued in favour of few favourite candidates of the two former Speakers. Majority of the candidates engaged through the back-door were youths of the Assembly constituencies of the then Speakers,’’ sources said.
They didn’t rule out the possibility of the Vigilance Organisation filing closure of complaint in haste view a view to shield the former Speakers and now sitting MLAs of the ruling party.
It may be mentioned here that the High Court had expressed anguish over the closure of a complaint alleging illegal and backdoor appointments in the Legislative Assembly Secretariat and MLA Hostels. The High Court, while issuing directions for reopening of the case, had made it clear that fresh probe shall be completed within a period of two months.
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