Shimla: The state vigilance and anti corruption bureau today after registering a case of disproportionate assets against Subash Ahluwalia, raided his residences in Shimla and Dharmshala and a search was being conducted till late in the evening.
ID Bhandari, ADGP vigilance, when contacted confirmed that a case of disproportionate assets had been registered against Subash Ahluwalia. The case has been registered in the south range police station of the bureau, located at its headquarters in Shimla.
A member of the investigating team on conditions of anonymity disclosed, “vigilance teams descended on the bureaucrats residences in Shimla and Dharmshala and are conducting searches. Ahluwalia is presently posted as the settlement officer at Dharmshala.
One team checked out the officials account in a private bank in Panchkula and discovered that the bureaucrat had four lockers with the branch. which were surrendered in April, 2007, the official said.
The case has been registered after the vigilance team tabulated that in the last five years a large amount of transactions had taken place in the bank accounts of Ahluwalia, who served as the all powerful private secretary to former chief minister Virbhadra Singh.
Sources disclosed that after taking into account the salary account of the bureaucrat as well as the income tax returns filed, a sum of about Rs 1.34 crore figuring in the bank accounts was disproportionate to all known sources of income.
Besides the bureau has so far unearthed 17 bank accounts owned or co-owned by Ahluwalia, where as he had only disclosed on 11 when he was asked to reveal his moveable and unmovable property during the inquiry made by vigilance team, the source said. Even the properties disclosed are grossly undervalued, he added.
There is no satisfactory explanation about the huge amount of cash figuring in the bank accounts and properties owned by Ahluwalia. “A case of disproportionate assets was made out and the government has given it nod for initiating an investigation into the case,†said the vigilance official.
The bank lockers with a private bank in Panchkula that were surrendered in April 2007, have not been declared, a member of the investigating team disclosed
The vigilance department had written to the home secretary PC Kapoor on Wednesday seeking mandatory government permission to register the case.
A charge sheet which the BJP as an opposition party had submitted to the governor seeking an investigation into allegations leveled against Alhuwalia and several other people was the basis for the inquiry conducted by the vigilance bureau.
Last month the vigilance team had summoned the bureaucrat and asked him for details about the movable and immovable property he owned. He was also asked to furnish documents related to the declarations made.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.
In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.
