A special court on Wednesday reserved its ruling on a petition filed by former State Minister and senior Congress leader Suresh Seth seeking inclusion of the name of State Industry Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya in the charge-sheet in the much publicised Sugni Devi land scam case.
The court is likely to take final call on the petition on August 19. The decision was deferred due to the absence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Ramesh Mendola, an accused in Sugni Devi land scam. Mendola could not turn up for hearing due to the ongoing Assembly session. Another accused S K Bias sought leave from the court to go to the US to attend a family function. Following years of investigation in connection with the Rs 100-crore Sugni Devi land scam, the lokayukta had filed chargesheet against BJP MlA Ramesh Mendola and 17 others on May 20 this year. However, all the accused managed to secure bail the same day.
Complainant Suresh Seth, not satisfied with the lokayukta chargesheet which gave a clean chit to Vijayvargia (he was the Mayor of Indore Municipal Corporation when the scam took place), filed a petition under 173 (8) of Cr PC urging the court to take cognizance in the case against Vijayvargiya and make him an accused in the land scam. Seth in his petition stated that it was during the regime of Vijayvargiya as the city mayor that the land of Sugni Devi college was allegedly transferred to Nandanagar Gruh Nirman Sakh Samiti, in violation of norms. The land was given on a fresh lease despite the fact that the old lease was yet to expire.
Meanwhile, the special court of DN Mishra on Wednesday rejected a petition of Seth seeking a copy of the lokayukta chargesheet. According to advocate Sohanlal Nagar, counsel of the petitioner, the court has refused to give original copy of the chargesheet. However, it has agreed to give a certified copy of the chargesheet to the complainant, Nagar said.