The man who has filed cases against Jharkhand chief minster Hemant Soren and his associates for allegedly operating shell companies and allotting a mining lease to himself has now accused the state government of using taxpayer’s money for making payments to senior Supreme Court advocate Kapil Sibal to defend allegations of corruption against the chief minister as an individual.
Shiv Shankar Sharma, who has put CM Soren in the dock, has now filed an interlocutory application (IA) before the Jharkhand high court, alleging that the state government was paying Sibal ₹22 lakh per appearance in the case.
Citing a response under RTI (Right to Information) Act from the state government, Sharma has said in the application, filed on Wednesday, that since Sibal has appeared on seven occasions before the Jharkhand High Court and twice before the Supreme Court in the case, the state government has already spent ₹1.54 crore of public money in opposing a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the allegations against Soren.
The division bench of chief justice Ravi Ranjan and justice SN Prasad is hearing a bunch of three PILs — two against Soren and one related to alleged MNREGA scam — side by side. After holding the two PILs against the CM maintainable, the bench has started hearing them on merits. These petitions are likely to be taken up for further hearing on Friday.
The petitioner filed the IA on Wednesday, two days after an application was filed on behalf of the state government and the chief minister, seeking action against the petitioner for lying on oath.
{{/usCountry}}The petitioner filed the IA on Wednesday, two days after an application was filed on behalf of the state government and the chief minister, seeking action against the petitioner for lying on oath.
{{/usCountry}}JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey refused to comment on the issue, saying the matter was “sub-judice”.
Rajiv Kumar, counsel of the petitioner, said they were ready to face any action. “Everything we have said is on record and based on facts. We are fighting this for exposing loot of public money and would continue to do so,” he said.