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NH-74 scam: Noose tightens around PCS officials as SIT files 2nd charge sheet
The Special Investigative Team (SIT) of the Uttarakhand Police probing ₹300-crore NH-74 scam on Thursday filed second charge sheet against six accused, including two suspended Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officials, in the court of special judge (Prevention of Corruption Act), Nainital
The Special Investigative Team (SIT) of the Uttarakhand Police probing ₹300-crore NH-74 scam on Thursday filed second charge sheet against six accused, including two suspended Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officials, in the court of special judge (Prevention of Corruption Act), Nainital.
The two PCS officials, suspended sub-divisional magistrates (SDM) Anil Shukla and NS Nagnyal, are currently in jail.
The first charge sheet in the case, running in 5804 pages, was filed against 12 accused on February 3, this year.
“The second charge sheet has been filed against six revenue officials. A team comprising three additional superintendents, two inspectors, five sub-inspectors, and seven constables are investigating into the scam,” senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sadanand Date said.
It was then Kumaon Commissioner D Senthil Pandiyan who blew the whistle on the scam in procurement of land for construction of NH-74 in Udham Singh Nagar district. Soon after coming to power in March last year, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat took cognisance of the issue, suspended six state-level officers and recommended a CBI probe.
The case was simultaneously handed over to the SIT that has since then questioned more than 225 officials of revenue department, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), farmers, builders, and brokers in connection with the case. The SIT, in course of investigation, also arrested 20 people including revenue officials, farmers and four officers of SDM rank.
Oman-based multinational Galfar Galfar Engineering & Contracting SAOG is constructing and widening the 375-km NH-74. It has been alleged that some land sharks joined hands with the administrative officials and purchased agricultural land from the farmers and got the land use changed to commercial under Section 143 of the section 143 of Zamidari Abolition and Land Reforms Act before it was finally acquired by the NHAI. The compensation paid for commercial land is almost 10 times higher than that of the agricultural land. The change in land use, allegedly with the help of revenue officials, was mostly carried out in back dates between 2012 and 2015.
PCS officer BS Fonia was first to be arrested in the case in November last year. Prime accused and former special land acquisition officer DP Singh surrendered before SSP Date on November 23 after evading the arrest till three week Suspended SDMs Shukla and Nagnyal were arrested later.
Fonia, Shukla and Nagnyal are accused of illegally changing the land use while holding the posts of SDM in Jaspur, Kashipur, Bazpur. Farmers were provided upto 10 times more compensation for the land leading to an estimated loss of ₹300 crore to the exchequer.
The first charge sheet had been filed in the court with recorded statements of 77 witnesses in the scam. It named Fonia, DP Singh, the then Tehsildars in charge Madan Mohan Paladiya and Bhole Lal, suspended Sangrah Amin Anil Kumar, data entry operator Arpan Kumar, former Peshkars (caller) Sanjay Kumar and Vikas Chauhan, Jaspur Tehsil staff Ram Samuch, farmers Charan Singh and Om Prakash, and stamp vendor Zeeshan as accused.
