The state authorities did not safe the prosecution sanction for initiating a trial in opposition to an Indian Administrative Providers (IAS) officer in a corruption case even after registration of the FIR greater than two years in the past. The courtroom underlined the delay in getting the prosecution sanction and on Monday fastened December 16 as the following date of listening to.
After the AAP got here to energy in Punjab in 2022, arrest of IAS officer Sanjay Popli in an alleged corruption case was one of many main actions taken by the federal government. The case had come up for listening to on framing of costs on Monday, however the prosecution part was not obtained and the case was adjourned for the following listening to.
Popli was arrested in June 2020 by the Vigilance Bureau (VB). Throughout the investigation, the VB claimed to get better 9 bricks of gold (1 kg every), 49 gold biscuits (totalling 3,160 gm), 12 gold cash (356 gm), 3 bricks of silver (1 kg every), 18 silver cash (180 gm), 4 iPhones, one Samsung Fold, two Samsung sensible watches, and 700 Indian forex notes of 500 (complete Rs 3,50,000). The investigation revealed that the worth of the recovered gold and silver was discovered to be over Rs 6.62 crore.
On October 10, the courtroom of Extra District and Periods Choose (ADSJ) Baljinder Singh Sra whereas underlying the delay in acquiring the prosecution sanction noticed, “perusal of the file signifies that the case is caught up on the stage of framing of costs on account of need of sanction which is pending with the competent authority.
It transpires from the file that the FIR registered on June 20, 2022, underneath Part 7, 7A of Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act was registered in opposition to the accused for allegedly receiving an unlawful gratification/ undue benefit of Rs 3.5 lakh from the complainant. Video footage of the transaction can also be obtainable.”
The courtroom additional noticed, “after thorough investigation, police report underneath Part 173(2) of CrPC had been submitted. Sanction had been utilized by the Vigilance Bureau from the competent authority. Nevertheless, until date, the identical has not been acquired”.
The courtroom additionally underscored that the extra public prosecutor for the state has even claimed that the federal government has not even forwarded the proposal for grant of sanction for prosecution underneath Part 19 of the PC Act, to Authorities of India/Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Division of Personnel and Coaching.
Stating the timeframe of concluding a corruption case, the newest order learn, “part 4 of the PC Act, fixes the fascinating timeline of two years for conclusion of the trial. Nevertheless, with out sanction from the competent authority, the trial can not proceed additional”.
Within the aforesaid view of the matter, the involved authorities, i.e. chief secretary to Punjab government-cum-Principal Secretary; Vigilance Bureau; secretary, Division of Personnel Punjab, Chandigarh; secretary/underneath secretary, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Division of Personnel and Coaching, North Block, New Delhi; and chief director, Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, are directed to look into the matter and expedite the method for in search of grant of sanction from the competent authority.
Additional, chief director, Vigilance Bureau, Punjab has additionally been directed by the courtroom to pursue the matter at his personal finish.
ADSJ Baljinder Singh Sra additionally stated a few of the instances/challans are pending within the courtroom of ADSJ Ajit Attri, which emanates out of the identical FIR, ordering all of the instances must be clubbed in a single courtroom.
