Raj Bhawan to take final call after controversy

Govt sends Khoda’s recommendation as CVC to Governor
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, June 4: The State government has finally sent the recommendation for former Director General of Police (DGP), Kuldeep Khoda, as the first Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) of the State and two Vigilance Commissioners (VCs) to governor N N Vohra for his assent.
Highly placed official sources said here that the panel was sent to Raj Bhawan along with one page note of dissent written by the leader of the Opposition and president of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti.
And now the Governor has to take final call on the selection of Khoda after PDP put a question mark on his selection and a human rights body vowed to move to the apex court of the country against Khoda for his alleged role in Bhaderwah triple murder.
If the Governor follows his own precedent, he will have to return the panel of nomination forwarded by the State Government for the post of CVC and VCs as there was no consensus on the nominations. He had returned the nomination of Justices Y P Nargotra and Bashir Ahmad Kirmani as members of the State Accountability Commission in 2009 as PDP president and leader of Opposition Mehbooba Mufti was not present in the meeting that had recommended their names.
The sources said that Mehbooba has put a question mark on the credibility of the former DGP Khoda in her note of dissent. While putting a question mark on Khoda’s credibility, Mehbooba has also questioned the credibility of the Vigilance Commission.
The sources that after the meeting of the members of the selection committee for the CVC and VCs last month, a detailed note about the minutes of the meeting was prepared by the officials. It was sent to all the members who were present in the meeting, comprising Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, Law, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ali Mohammad Sagar and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti for their assent.
They said that Mehbooba has written a detailed note of dissent where she has opposed the recommendation of Khoda. In her dissent note she has written: “The appointment of CVC is extremely crucial in the fight against corruption, the exercise, therefore, should be more than mere filling up of vacancies as post retirement rehabilitation.”
The sources said that in her one page note, Mehbooba has raised the issues of Khoda’s alleged involvement in triple murder, cover up of National Conference leader Syed Yusuf’s death in alleged police custody, Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association scam and killing of 200 youth between 2008 to 2010 during his tenure as DGP.
They further said that Mehbooba’s dissenting note said that Khoda’s appointment as CVC will send wrong signal to bureaucracy that they can get away with their wrong doings and get rewarded for that.
Besides recommending Khoda as first CVC, the Government has recommended former Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department, Mohammad Sayeed Khan and former Financial Commissioner Revenue, R K Jerath for the posts of Vigilance Commissioners (VCs). Mehbooba has raised questions on the appointment of Khoda only while in case of Khan and Jerath, she has remained silent.
It may be mentioned here that last month, Mehbooba walked out of the meeting held for the selection of panel for the CVC and CVs after Government’s insistence on the name of Khoda. Despite her opposition State Government went ahead with the panel and sent it to the Governor for the assent.
The Khoda’s appointment has become further controversial as a day after the meeting in which panel was recommended; the Jammu and Kashmir High Court dismissed a petition against him for his alleged involvement in triple murder case in Bharwah when he was DIG of Doda-Bhaderwah range.
The petition was seeking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for Khoda’s alleged role in a triple murder case in Bhaderwah. The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) who were fighting the case for the victims’ families raised questions over the dismissal of the petition. They are moving to Supreme Court against Khoda for seeking justice from the apex court of the country.
It may be mentioned here that four civilians, Fazal Hussain, his son Fareed Hussain, Muhammad Hussain Lone and Talib Hussain, were allegedly kidnapped from their homes in Bhaderwah by one Mohammad Ashraf who was working with police as an SPO in 1996.
While three persons were killed allegedly by Ashraf and his gunmen, Talib Hussain had managed to escape from their clutches and reported the matter to police.
A case was filed with the police after investigations directed by the chief Judicial Magistrate’s court, Bhaderwah. The victims’ families, however, not satisfied with the investigation approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). It directed the police’s crime branch to investigate the case.

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