Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 21: High Court has treated as Public Interest Litigation (PIL) a petition filed by one Ankur Sharma seeking registration of FIR under Section 5(2) J&K Prevention of Corruption Act against the sitting Cabinet Minister Abdul Ghani Kohli and officers/ officials of the Revenue and Forest Departments for grabbing more than 10 kanals of forest land in Sunjwan.
When this petition came up for hearing the petitioner drew the attention of the court towards his complaint dated June 16, 2015 which he had filed before Director SVO and SSP VOJ wherein he sought registration of FIR under Section 5(2) J&K Prevention of Corruption Act against the sitting Cabinet Minister Abdul Ghani Kohli and officers/ officials of the Revenue and Forest Departments for grabbing more than 10 kanals of forest land.
The petitioner argued that as per the directions of the Supreme Court in case titled Lalita Kumari Versus State of UP, the Vigilance Organization was under a bounden obligation to register the FIR against the high profile minister as his complaint discloses the commission of cognizable offences or in the alternative the SVO should have finalized the preliminary enquiry within seven days as prescribed by the Apex Court.
During the course of arguments, the petitioner pressed for the constant monitoring of the ongoing preliminary enquiry by the State High Court looking into the gravity of the allegations and the position enjoyed by the encroacher.
After hearing petitioner in person, Justice B S Walia treated the petition as Public Interest Litigation and referred it to Division Bench.
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