Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 28: In the much publicized Public Interest Litigation filed highlighting alleged hushing up of Rajouri Development Authority Scam wherein instead of registering an FIR despite the approval of the Director Vigilance, J&K Vigilance Organization the same was converted by SVO into Regular Department Action (RDA) against the delinquent officers/officials of Rajouri Development Authority namely Mohammad Javed Khan (IAS) the then Chief Executive Officer, Rajouri Development Authority presently Custodian General, J&K Government, Khushal Chand the then Executive Engineer, Devi Dass Heer, Executive Engineer and Gurcharan Singh Junior Engineer, Rajouri Development Authority.
Division Bench comprising Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice B S Walia today in the open court after hearing Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed with Advocate Rahul Raina appearing for the petitioner, Senior AAG Seema Shekhar appearing for GAD and Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi with Advocate Ankesh Chandel appearing for newly impleaded Mohammad Javed Khan (IAS), directed the Senior AAG Seema Shekhar to file the status report on behalf of Commissioner/ Secretary to Government of J&K, General Administration Department in terms of Division Bench Order dated May, 2, 2016 indicating the appointment of new Inquiry Officer for holding departmental inquiry against Mohd Javed Khan (IAS) the then CEO Rajouri Development Authority and other suspect officers allegedly involved in the Rajouri Development Authority Scam. The Division Bench also allowed 3 weeks time to Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi appearing for Mohammad Javed Khan to file the response to the allegations leveled in the Public Interest Litigation.
When this PIL came up for hearing, Advocate S S Ahmed appearing for the petitioner drew the attention of the Division Bench towards the order dated May, 2, 2016 passed by the Division Bench whereby the then Advocate General D C Raina appearing for the State Government had assured the Division Bench that the new inquiry officer will be appointed by the GAD and a compliance report in this regard will also be filed before the Court. Advocate Ahmed further submitted that the previous inquiry officer i.e. R K Varma the then Director, Tourism Jammu, had declined to conduct an enquiry into the matter as according to him Mohammad Javed Khan, the then CEO Rajouri Development Authority against whom the inquiry was to be conducted being senior to him and further Mohammad Javed Khan has been inducted into Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
Advocate S S Ahmed further submitted that no compliance report in terms of Order dated May, 2, 2016 indicating the appointment of new Inquiry Officer for holding departmental inquiry against the erring officers/officials of Rajouri Development Authority has been filed. He further submitted that GAD is callous towards the directions passed by the Division Bench.
On the other hand Senior AAG Seema Shekhar appearing for General Administration Department submitted that in view of the prevailing situation in Kashmir the requisite compliance report could not be filed and she sought some more time to comply the directions passed by the Division Bench on May, 2, 2016.
After considering the submissions of both the sides, Division Bench comprising Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice B S Walia directed Senior AAG Seema Shekhar to file the status report on behalf of Commissioner/ Secretary to Govt of J&K, General Administration Department in terms of Division Bench Order dated May 2, 2016 indicating the appointment of new Inquiry Officer for holding departmental inquiry against Mohd Javed Khan (IAS), the then CEO Rajouri Development Authority and other suspect officers allegedly involved in the Rajouri Development Authority Scam. Division Bench also allowed 3 weeks time to Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi appearing for Mohammad Javed Khan to file the response to the allegations leveled in the Public Interest Litigation.
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