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Fauji case: Lokayukta says no review
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 11
Haryana Lokayukta Justice Pritam Pal today dismissed state government's application seeking review of its January 21 order recommending registration of a case against Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Ram Kishan Fauji in the alleged cash-for-CLU licence scandal.

The Lokayukta also dismissed Fauji's two applications and stuck to its order recommending registration of a criminal case against Fauji. A video purportedly showed him demanding Rs 5-crore bribe from a person for change of land use (CLU) for a plot along the NH-8 in Gurgaon.

NS Sekhawat, counsel for the opposition INLD, which had released the CD exposing the alleged scam, had demanded rejection of the state government's application contending that there was no provision for a review of the Lokayukta's order under the state Lokayukta Act, 2002.

In its January 21 order, the Lokayukta said: "A criminal case for commission of offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, be immediately registered against Fauji." It had urged the state government to depute a senior police official of "impeccable integrity" to investigate the allegations of corruption in the case and submit the action-taken report at the earliest.

On January 30, the Haryana Government asked the Lokayukta to re-examine its recommendations claiming that there had been a variation in the findings and observations made by the Lokayukta in its report.

Timeline Sept 6, 2013: The INLD releases video footage showing Fauji demanding Rs 5 crore for a CLU Sept 9: Hooda refers the matter to the Lokayukta Jan 21, 2014: Lokayukta orders an FIR against Fauji Jan 30: The Hooda govt refers the matter back to Lokayukta Feb 11: Lokayukta dismisses pleas of Hooda govt and Fauji