*Commission watching abuse of law as mute spectator
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 28: As the State Vigilance Organization (SVO) has become rudderless, the influential accused involved in the much publicized Roshni and other land scams are unlikely to face rule of law as certain senior officers of premier investigating agency of the State are hell bent to protect them by applying different yardsticks. This abuse of law by the protectors of the law is taking place right under the nose of the State Vigilance Commission, which otherwise was supposed to ensure that the Organization meets the objectives behind its constitution.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that it is for the first time in the history of State Vigilance Organization, which was constituted on March 4, 1963, that establishment of rule of law is being given least attention by its certain officers and outcome of the same is that investigation into major land scams particularly Roshni fraud has failed to yield any positive result till date despite lapse of considerable time.
“Due to certain officers of SVO extending undue favors to influential top officers even the small fries are also getting unpunished as Organization is aware of the fact that in case it presents challan against the junior level officers and officials their act of protecting influential accused would get exposed in the public”, sources said, adding “keeping all these aspects in mind the SVO has found it appropriate to delay presentation of challan in major land scams including Roshni fraud”.
Sources privy to the illegal activities going on in the SVO informed that head of a vital Commission of the State and former Divisional Commissi-oner of Kashmir valley was booked on April 23, 2015 during the course of investigation in the Roshni scam but from the same day maneuvering began to shield him despite the fact that it was established beyond any shadow of doubt that this accused had conferred ownership rights of State land measuring 7 kanals and 7 marlas in Karan Nagar area of Srinagar to a person, who was never the occupant of land in terms of the provisions of State Land (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act.
Due to conferring of undue favor on this particular man by the then Divisional Commi-ssioner of Kashmir valley, the State exchequer suffered a loss to the tune of Rs 97,70,625.
Similarly, a senior bureaucrat, who is presently Administrative Secretary of a department, was booked under FIR No.15/2014 registered on June 28, 2014 and FIR No.6/2014 registered on February 26, 2014 for entering into criminal conspiracy and conferring ownership rights of the State land by abusing his official position. He is being shielded by applying different yardsticks.
“The investigation into case involving this bureaucrat has almost been completed but the challan is not being presented because of influence of this officer”, sources said, adding “several other high-profile bureaucrats, whose involvement has also surfaced in the Roshni scam have managed to stall the process of presentation of challans in the court of law by exerting direct or indirect pressure on the SVO”.
They further disclosed that in the Green Belt Park area a huge showroom has recently come up in violation of various directions of the High Court because the owner of the showroom is enjoying political clout. “Though he is already facing Vigilance enquiry but action in his case is also being delayed”, they added.
“A senior police officer, who is also involved in encroachment of State land in the outskirts of Jammu city, is also enjoying the patronage of the SVO, which has turned blind eye towards his glaring misuse of official position”, sources further said, adding “this officer is openly using the police vehicles for construction activity on the State land but his friends in the SVO have preferred to allow him to complete the work”.
“Nothing substantial has been done by the SVO in the case of an influential politician despite the fact that it has already been established that he is in the possession of 10 marlas of State land in City South area”, sources further said, adding “this politician has managed to prevail upon certain officers of the State Vigilance Organization otherwise there was no justification in delaying registration of FIR on the basis of outcome of the preliminary enquiry”.
What to talk of major land scams, the State Vigilance Organization is deliberately delaying inquiries against the officers involved in illegal mutation of land in different parts of State, the FIRs about which were registered several years back, sources said, adding “in many such and other cases of abuse of official position several erring officers have attained superannuation honorably but FIRs have yet not reached the logical conclusion”.
This is notwithstanding the fact that General Administration Department under whose jurisdiction the State Vigilance Organization falls, had stated on affidavit before the Division Bench of the State High Court that concerned departments have been advised not to finalize full pensionary claims in favour of alleged accused against whom action is pending.
Even an officer, who opted for Voluntary Retirement shortly after formulation of PDP-BJP Coalition Government had abused the law for his personal gains but despite numerous complaints to the State Vigilance Organization against him no action was taken.
“Keeping in view the prevailing mess in the State Vigilance Organization, the State Government must immediately go in for overhauling of the body otherwise all the top accused involved in the land scams would one day go scot-free and that would be a blot on the credibility of PDP-BJP Coalition Govern-ment”, sources stressed.
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