Himachal Pradesh govt nod to prosecute former chief secretary, home secretary

SHIMLA: In a case related to withdrawal of resignation of former IPS officer A N Sharma by the previous BJP regime, Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday gave its nod to prosecute two former IAS officers, including former chief secretary Ravi Dhingra and former home secretary P C Kapoor. The government has already allowed prosecuting of former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and A N Sharma in the same case.
According to official sources, the state government while giving prosecution sanction against the two former IAS officers under Section 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act on Wednesday sent the same file to the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau for further action so that challan could be produced in the court. Sources said that while leaving for Delhi last week, CM Virbhadra Singh had given his approved to the file seeking permission to prosecute Dhingra and Kapoor. After that the personnel department had sent the file to the law department for its opinion.
Sources said that after receiving opinion of the law department, the government gave prosecution sanction against the former chief secretary and former home secretary. Vigilance bureau was awaiting prosecution sanction against the two officials to file challan in the court in the high-profile case.
In the same case, on January 20, the then governor, Urmila Singh, had returned the file seeking sanction to prosecute former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and others in the same case, stating that the governor's nod was not required. The state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau on June 17 last year had registered a case against former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, former home secretary P C Dhiman while former municipal commissioner of Shimla A N Sharma too was named in the FIR registered on the charges of corruption, forgery and criminal conspiracy under Section 120-B and 420 of IPC and Section 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act.
Vigilance officials had said that along with the officials concerned, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal too is accountable for misrepresentation of facts. Vigilance officials had said that A N Sharma in 2007 had applied for voluntary retirement and when the government accepted it the later in connivance with the government officials withdrew it from back date. Sources said that as prosecution sanction has been received against all those named in the FIR, now the VB can file challan against Dhumal and three retired officers anytime in the court.