The State Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau filed a charge sheet against Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) President and BCCI Jt. Secretary, Anurag Thakur, his father, former Chief Minister P K Dhumal and 16 others in a case of alleged wrongdoing in allotment of land to the HPCA.
The charge sheet was filed before the special court of K K Sharma at Dharamsala, minutes after the Himachal Pradesh High Court dismissed HPCA's plea for quashing of the FIR, terming it as "biased, mala fide and politically motivated".
The office-bearers of HPCA, three serving Himachal Administrative Service officers and one retired IAS officer have been charged under sections 420, 406, 218, 120(B) and 201 of the IPC and section 13(B) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
HPCA is led by Dhumal's son, Anurag Thakur, who is seeking re-election from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat.
"A supplementary charge sheet against two serving IAS officers – Deepak Sanan (Additional Chief Secretary) and Ajay Sharma (DC, Bilaspur) – will be filed later as their cases have been sent to the Centre for prosecution sanction under section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act," a source in the vigilance bureau said.
The names of then Kangra Deputy Commissioner R S Gupta (now retired) and senior HAS officer Gopal Sharma figured in the charge sheet.
Himachal Governor Urmila Singh had already granted prosecution sanction against former Chief Minister Dhumal.
The vigilance bureau accused HPCA of acquiring land fraudulently by deception and illegal means, obtaining documents – NOCs (no objection certificates) and other certificates – fraudulently with a criminal intention, and conversion of HPCA, which was registered as a society, into company with ulterior motives to cause wrongful loss to the state.
The sections invoked in the charge sheet pertain to cheating, conspiracy, misuse of official position and destruction of evidence.
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