Textbook scam: IAS officer not off the hook as yet - Hindustan Times
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Textbook scam: IAS officer not off the hook as yet

Hindustan Times | By, Chandigarh
May 30, 2012 04:08 PM IST

A 1985-batch Haryana cadre IAS officer Sanjeev Kumar, acquitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation court in one of the charge sheets in the textbook scam case that surfaced in 1999, has found that he has not been fully relieved from the case.

A 1985-batch Haryana cadre IAS officer Sanjeev Kumar, acquitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation court in one of the charge sheets in the textbook scam case that surfaced in 1999, found on Tuesday that he had not been fully relieved from the case.

HT Image
HT Image

This, as the special CBI court heard the arguments on framing of charges in another charge sheet relating to the same case and reserved the order for framing of charges for June 4.
It is pertinent to mention that on April 18, the special CBI court had acquitted Sanjeev Kumar from the charges of forgery, breach of trust, falsification of accounts and criminal conspiracy registered against him under the sensational textbook scam of 1999. Kumar has six cases pending against him.

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The said case was registered in 2008 after the Vigilance Bureau conducted an inquiry into the alleged scam and recommended registration of a case against Sanjeev Kumar and 13 other persons in connection with textbook printing irregularities, in tendering procedures for textbooks for Haryana Prathmik Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad (HPSPP), which, the agency said, had caused a loss of Rs 5.25 crore.

During the resumed hearing of the case before the special CBI judge Vimal Kumar, CBI public prosecutor PK Dogra and MM Sharma argued that Kumar abused his official position and caused wrongful gains to private fictitious firms and himself by allotting the work for printing of books worth Rs 5 crore, causing huge loss to the state exchequer.

However, Sanjeev Kumar argued before the court: "I have already been acquitted by the same court in the main case, as prosecution could not establish any evidence against me.

"Now, the CBI is using the same allegations and evidences as of the base case from which I have been relived after nearly 12 years. One cannot be tried for the same offence twice."

Hearing both the parties the court reserved its order for framing of charge for June 4.

PK Dogra told HT, "Kumar reportedly approved tenders of printing and publishing books to private agencies at a ''much'' higher cost than the government rates. Some of the firms to which the orders were given did not even have a printing press or the capability to carry out the order".

The CBI has already made three accused approvers in the case - Raj Kumar, Dalbir Singh and Ashok Aggarwal, who have confirmed before the court earlier that Kumar approved the tenders of printing and publishing books to private firms at rates more than the government rates. The three are now prosecution witnesses. In all, there are 11 accused in the case including Kumar and one Rajan Sushant, Store Purchase Officer, DPEP.

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