In a setback to the Bhupinder Singh Hooda Government in Haryana, the lokayukta of the State on Tuesday recommended the registration of a case of corruption against Chief Parliamentary Secretary Ram Kishan Fauji in a cash-for-land use licence scandal.
The lokayukta, Justice (Retd) Pritam Pal also said the investigation be conducted by a senior police officer. The order from the lokayukta came following a complaint, along with a video CD showing Fauji allegedly demanding Rs 5 crore from the complainant to get him a change of land use (ClU) licence from the Haryana Government. Fauji is a Congress legislator from the Bhiwani Khera (reserved) Assembly seat.
Earlier, on January 17, the lokayukta had reserved his orders into the case. In the judgment, the lokayukta said “a senior competent police officer enjoying the reputation of having impeccable integrity, be deputed to investigate the entire case expeditiously on all counts of allegations of corruption as allegedly narrated in the C.D. during the sting operation”.
In September 2013, Indian National lok Dal (INlD) had released the video footage of a sting operation, which according to them was of CPS Fauji who was shown demanding Rs 5 crore in lieu of ClU for four acres of land in Gurgaon. Following this the Haryana government had referred the matter to lokayukta to probe as if there was any money transaction or sale purchase of land.
In its judgment, the lokayukta said that after seeing the C.D. and going through the averments of the affidavits, prima facie it appears that Fauji, has committed a cognisable offence punishable under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. He said two people have alleged that Fauji made the demand for Rs 5 crore in lieu of helping them get a ClU for a 70-80 room hotel to be constructed on four acres of land located eight km from Gurgaon on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. INlD, principle Opposition party in Haryana welcomed the judgment of Haryana lokayukta.
The State Government, however, may delay taking action against its CPS even after the recommendation of lokayukta. According to rules, the state government has to take action on the recommendation of lokayukta within a period of three months, but this is not binding. As Parliamentary and Assembly Elections will be held in 2014, taking action against the CPS would adversely affect the Government.