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Lokayukta indicts Haryana CPS Fauji in graft case
Jolt to Hooda govt as registration of criminal case recommended against him in cash-for-CLU scam
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 21
The Haryana Lokayukta has recommended the registration of a criminal case against Chief Parliamentary Secretary Ram Kishan Fauji in a case relating to his alleged video footage allegedly demanding Rs 5 crore bribe from a person for change of land use (CLU) for a plot along NH-8 in Gurgaon. The development has come as a huge embarrassment to the Hooda Government in the run-up the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

How the case unfolded Sept 6, 2013: INLD releases video footage showing Fauji seeking Rs 5 crore for change of land use (CLU) Sept 9: Hooda refers matter to Lokayukta for probe Jan 13, 2014: INLD state chief Ashok Arora, Abhay Chautala’s counsel appear before the Lokayukta Jan 16: Two persons, who conducted sting op, file affidavits Jan 17: Justice Pritam Pal reserves order in the case

“A criminal case for commission of offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), 1988, be immediately registered against Fauji,” Lokayukta Pritam Pal said in his 17-page order.

“From the transcript version after seeing the CD and going through the averments of the affidavits by Dharmender Kuhar and Parveen Malik, who had conducted the sting operation, it prima facie appears that Fauji has committed a cognizable offence punishable under provisions of the PCA,” the Lokayukta claimed.

Justice Pritam Pal urged the state government to depute a senior police official of ‘impeccable integrity’ to investigate the allegations of corruption alleged in the CD during the sting operation and submit the action taken report at the earliest. However, the Lokayukta inquiry established no exchange of money for the CLU.

On September 6, senior INLD leader Abhay Chautala had released a video CD of Fauji allegedly demanding Rs 5 crore for the CLU of four-acre hotel site along the Delhi-Jaipur highway, about 8 km from Gurgaon. However, Fauji had termed the CD as “doctored” and aimed at maligning him and the Congress.

Pushed on the back foot by the Opposition during the monsoon session of the state Assembly, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had referred the matter to the Lokayukta on September 9 last year.

In fact, Fauji is not alone whose video footage allegedly demanding money for the CLUs has been release by the INLD. Minister Rao Narinder Singh, three CPSs, Vinod Bhayana, Jaleb Khan (his son Sajid Khan was shown allegedly demanding money) and MLAs Naresh Selvel, Ram Niwas Ghorela, Jarnail Singh and Sampat Singh (his son was allegedly shown demanding a bribe) are also at the receiving end of the allegations.

Meanwhile, INLD leaders Abhay Chautala and Ashok Arora demanded arrest of Fauji immediately. They also demanded the resignation of Hooda Government on ‘moral grounds” and its dismissal by the Governor if it failed to resign.