In an apparent bid to nail former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and his parliamentarian son Anurag Thakur ahead of high stake general election, State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau sought prosecution sanction against them and three others senior bureaucrats and office bearers of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) case.
The 40-page challan prepared by the Vigilance Bureau has included 18 people which comprises of father and son duo, functionaries of HPCA and Government officials including senior bureaucrats who were holding high positions in the previous BJP Government.
The Vigilance Bureau probe that lasted for a year indicted former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal for influencing decision of his cabinet to lease out land for constructing cricket stadium at Dharamshala.
The investigation so far has found that Dhumal being a patron in chief of HPCA was part of the decision making where 11.8 hectare of land was lease to the HPCA, in 2002. The Vigilance in February had sent a questionnaire asking him about the Cabinet decisions on the land lease.
The Vigilance had registered a FIR against HPCA for changing the status of cricket association as a society and then to company. The cricket association is headed by former Chief Minister’s son Anurag Thakur had registered itself as a company in Kanpur and later the same was registered at Chandigarh which has addresses of Dharamshala.
The probe found involvement of additional chief secretary Deepak Sannan who was then principal secretary revenue had given permission to lease out chunk of land for constructing residential complex for cricket players which was later converted into high end hotel called The Pavilion.
The probe says that Sannan had changed the land use on his own discretion without the mandatory permission of sports department. The probe also held the retired IAS officers RS Gupta for endorsing Sannan's orders. Gupta, was former principal private secretary to Dhumal's deputy commissioner Kangra at the time when he gave due permission for changing the land use.
The Vigilance Bureau has also indicted IAS officer Ajay Sharma who was then director of sports and youth services. The challan also finds names of RS Verma who was then the CEO of Dharamshala municipal council for allowing HPCA to run a restaurant (club house) in its picturesque