HP industries ex-official discharged in ₹10 lakh graft case
Himachal industries department’s former joint director Tilak Raj Sharma has been accused of demanding ₹10 lakh for processing a grant for approval of ₹50 lakh as subsidy to a Baddi company in 2017
The CBI court of special judge Alka Malik on Tuesday discharged two persons, including Himachal industries department’s former joint director Tilak Raj Sharma, in connection with a ₹10-lakh corruption case that was registered in 2017. The prosecution agency’s case fell flat in the absence of prosecution sanction by the Himachal Pradesh government.
Tilak Raj Sharma and Baddi businessman Ashok Rana were arrested in 2017. The CBI had alleged that the duo had demanded ₹10 lakh for processing and recommending a grant for approval of ₹50 lakh as subsidy to a Baddi company — Medicef Pharma.
The CBI had even filed a supplementary chargesheet in October 2023 and had informed the court that the state had twice declined to give prosecution sanction against Sharma. The supplementary chargesheet mentioned, “It has been proved that Tilak Raj Sharma demanded ₹10 lakh as bribe from complainant Chander Shekhar through co-accused Ashok Rana on May 19 and May 22 in 2017 for clearing a subsidy claim of M/s Medicef Pharma. The demand was further reiterated by Sharma and Rana on May 27, 2017, in Chandigarh. On May 29 that year, Tilak Raj obtained ₹5 lakh through Ashok Rana in Chandigarh.”
The CBI stated that during investigation, documents related to the case were seized, and after the completion of the probe, a letter was sent to the competent authority on August 26, 2022, for the grant of prosecution sanction. However, the competent authority vide letter dated November 17, 2022, again declined to grant sanction for Sharma’s prosecution.
The CBI claimed that documentary evidences collected during the investigation conclusively proved that Sharma demanded a bribe of ₹10 lakh from the complainant through Rana.
While discharging both the accused, the court stated, “Both have been discharged for the time being, as detailed in the order. Their bail bonds and surety bonds also stand discharged.”
The court also issued directions for consigning the file to the records with a red note that same may not be destroyed without the court’s order.
