Forgery: Ex-IAS officer’s conviction stayed

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20

A local court has stayed the conviction of a retired IAS officer, Asha Sharma, till the pendency of her appeal in a case pertaining to forgery of records in a property dispute case. The case, filed by her mother and brother, has been sent to the mediation centre.

Asha Sharma, former Haryana State Information Commissioner, was sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) by a court in September 2016 and she had filed an appeal against it in the appellate court.

The mediation centre has been directed to call both parties for negotiation. The court further directed the mediation centre to file a report by February 26.

Sharma was convicted under Section 426 of the IPC. She was sentenced to three-years RI and a fine of Rs 1,000 was imposed on her under Section 466 of the IPC.

Her mother Chander Kala had claimed on November 12, 1999, that the original will of her husband late Col Balwant Singh went missing from the records. As per the claim, on page 10 and 11 of the file, there were a series of notings, revealing that the original office file was taken to Asha Sharma’s residence on the orders of the then AEO, Estate Office, Chandigarh. 

Also, the clerk concerned had made a noting that Asha Sharma had tampered with some documents in it.

Chander Kala had filed a complaint with the then Adviser and a vigilance inquiry was marked on it. The inquiry report was sent in 2000, following which a case under Sections 406, 420, 468 and 477 of the Indian Penal Code was registered against Asha Sharma.