Ghaziabad: State committee to probe allegations against suspended AIG

Two FIRs were registered by the police against him last month and he was arrested. The suspended officer is presently lodged in Dasna jail.

A team of state officials arrived in Ghaziabad to probe the allegations of cheating and forgery levied against the suspended assistant inspector general (stamps).

Sharma faces allegations of seeking bribes from persons after sending them fake notices. He is also facing allegations of reducing the circle rates a prominent mall for personal benefits. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Two FIRs were registered by the police against him last month and he was arrested. The suspended officer is presently lodged in Dasna jail.

Rajesh Sharma, the former AIG (stamps) in Ghaziabad, is charged with allegations of cheating, forgery and others in the two FIRs lodged at Kavi Nagar police station. One of these was filed by the district officials following an inquiry and a subsequent raid. During the raid, Sharma was allegedly found running a ‘parallel office’ at the residence of Ajay Kumar Garg, a former deputy inspector general (stamps).

“The four-member team is from the stamps department and will probe the allegations faced by Sharma. The inquiry committee was constituted by the state administration. The five sub-registrars in Ghaziabad had also made direct complaints to the state about Sharma’s alleged harassment and behaviour,” said Rajesh Yadav, additional district magistrate (finance & revenue).

Sharma faces allegations of seeking bribes from persons after sending them fake notices. He is also facing allegations of reducing the circle rates a prominent mall for personal benefits.

According to documents available with the district administration, the circle rate of the area where the mall was situated was Rs1,40,000 per square metre in August 2015, which was revised to Rs90,000 per sqm in August 2016.

Officials said that there was another instance of rate revision in Sahibabad, in which the rate was reduced from Rs45,000 per sqm to Rs30,000 per sqm last December. The revised circle rate document had the signatures of only two officials, one of them being Sharma.

The state committee comprises officials from Lucknow, Saharanpur, Allahabad and Agra. They have been asked by the IG (stamps), Kamini Ratan Chauhan,to conduct an investigation on 10 points, including alleged notices issued without registration of cases, amount of notices in cases and settlements (amounts) made thereon, the service quality of offices and complaints made by Sharma against sub-registrars and vice versa.

However, Sharma had defended the move saying that the final decision to lower or increase the circle rate rests with the district magistrate. He had also said that he went to the Garg’s residence to seek advice, as he was a senior retired officer.