A day after Haryana lokayukta recommended registration of an FIR against five former Congress MlAs in connection with the alleged cash-for-change of land use (ClU) scam, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar on Thursday said that a fair probe would be conducted into the matter.
The Chief Minister while talking to the mediapersons said that the lokayukta had issued the orders and a fair inquiry as per the law would be conducted into the issue.
In a major embarrassment to the Congress, Haryana lokayukta had on Wednesday recommended registration of a criminal case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against five former Haryana Congress MlAs allegedly involved in the cash for change of land use (ClU) case of 2013. These are former Health Minister Rao Narender Singh, former Chief Parliamentary Secretary Vinod Bhyana and MlAs Jarnail Singh, Naresh Selval and Ram Niwas Ghorela.
The Cash-for ClU case dates back to September 2013 when the Congress Government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda was in power in Haryana. The opposition INlD had released some CDs two years back purportedly showing the former Congress legislators seeking illegal gratification in lieu of getting ClU permissions.
On October 1, 2014, Justice Pritam Pal had directed the state police to investigate the ClU scam after holding that it was a fit case for investigation under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
While the lokyukta’s orders issued on Wednesday vindicated the INlD’s stand in the case, it has put the Congress on the backfoot.
The BJP led State Government is already keen on investigating all “wrongdoings” of the government in Hooda’s rule and had stated that the guilty in various alleged scams would not be spared.
Pronouncing the judgment, lokayukta Justice (retd.) Pritam Pal had said, “Thereafter, a senior competent police officer enjoying the reputation of having an impeccable integrity be deputed to investigate all the cases expeditiously on all counts of allegations of corruption. The lokayukta ordered the state government to submit the action taken report on his recommendations within three months.
The lokayukta has left it on the discretion of the investigating officer that if, after the registration of the case and during investigation, sufficient material is found against any person other than five ex-MlAs, that person may also be arrayed an accused in the case in accordance with law.
The lokyaukta passed these orders on the basis of the inquiry report submitted by additional director general of police Haryana, V Kamaraj.
Apart from recommending an FIR against former Chief Parliamentary Secretary Bhayana, Haryana ADGP V Kamaraja in his inquiry report had recommended registration of criminal cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act against four other former Congress MlAs in connection with the case.
Kamaraj in his reports had submitted to the lokayukta that prima facie a case is made out and a criminal case under the Prevention of Corruption Act may be registered against the formers MlAs.
The lokayukta had earlier refused to give any reprieve to the five Congress leaders, who had maintained that allegations against them were baseless.