Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has taken two senior government officials to task for taking a lenient view in against a revenue official indicted in a corruption case, who was retried whereas the rules provide for dismissal.
A division bench of Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice VK Sharma has directed Amandeep Garg, a former deputy commissioner of Mandi and Ashwani Kapoor, divisional commissioner, Mandi to submit under oath as to what the basis for imposing a lenient punishment in retiring one Dile Ram, who was a patwari in the revenue department.
Dile Ram was suspended from service in December 2009 after the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau had caught him red-handed accepting bribe of Rs. 1000/- on 28.10.2009. A criminal case under Sections 7, 13(2) Prevention of Corruption Act was slapped against him.
A departmental inquiry had indicted Dile Ram for having accepted a bribe and Garg as deputy commissioner had ordered his compulsory retirement.
However, Ram had appealed the matter before the divisional commissioner, whose court holds quasi-judicial powers in the matter.
Overlooking the findings of the departmental inquiry, the divisional commissioner had reversed the order of the deputy commissioner, and Ram was reinstated in service and posted at Gawalpur, Mandi.
The deputy commissioner appealed the case before the senior officials of state government, who compulsorily retired the corruption accused.
Not satisfied with the punishment meted out, Ram petitioned the court. Without providing any relief, the High Court has questioned the lenient attitude adopted by the officials in a corruption case.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
Well good that Court has pursued this case but What about high Ranking Babus who are caught for corruption……
Patwari is small fry and this seems like a publicity stunt……
whole politician, govt servant who have been caught and involved in corruption proved should be sacked ,immidiately without any pension,,where 80% have not govt fund to spend, it is hypocracy now common people asking question where is law justice
This gives us all the more reason to have Proper Lokpal Bill as suggested by Anna Hazarre , Kiran Bedi and all of us…….