New Delhi: A 13-year-old corruption allegation against a senior IAS officer, alleged bribe of Rs 10 lakh, multiple complaints and a battle of FIRs – two IAS officers are tinkering with it in Haryana.
The battle between Ashok Khemka, a 1991-batch officer of Haryana cadre and Sanjeev Verma, a state civil service officer who was promoted to the IAS in 2004, focuses on the former’s stint as the Managing Director (MD) of Haryana State Warehousing. Corporation (HSWC) is more than a decade old.
Verma is presently holding joint charge as MD of HSWC.
The open exchanges between the two officials also indicate possible political undertakings.
Verma is the Divisional Commissioner of Karnal, the parliamentary constituency of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Meanwhile, Khemka has got the support of state Home Minister Anil Vij in this struggle.
Though Vij and Khattar have had a bad relationship, the BJP leader denies that this is a reason for the altercation between the two IAS officers.
On April 20, Verma had lodged an FIR against Khemka alleging irregularities in recruitment.
On 25 April, Khemka filed a counter-FIR, and wrote to the Haryana Chief Secretary demanding action against Verma. Khemka told ThePrint that the effort was backed by Vij, who “ensured that a counter-FIR” is filed as the Haryana Police “initially showed reluctance to do so”.
Speaking to ThePrint, both Khemka and Verma justified their stand.
Khemka – who is now principal secretary in Haryana’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Archives, Archeology and Museums – called himself “a victim of a sinister design”.
He said the corruption charges against him were “investigated at least thrice by the police and the (state) Lokayukta, but each time appears to be false”.
Verma said he was working on the findings of the three-member committee that recommended the FIR against Khemka.
ThePrint has mailed questions to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) requesting the government’s version on the matter, and has yet to receive a response.
Calls to Vij, including to his office, went unanswered, as did mails and texts with queries on the matter.
Read also: Z+ security to Gurmeet Ram Rahim brings back Khattar-Vij rift in Haryana
13 year old allegation
In 2016, a man named Ravinder Kumar filed a complaint with the Haryana Police, seeking a probe into the recruitment of a man as manager in HSWC in 2009.
According to Kumar, the man was “not qualified” for the post and had paid a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to Khemka to get the job.
ThePrint has accessed the investigation reports, complaints and FIRs lodged in the case since 2016 and found that the matter was investigated at least three times. , Police and Lokayukta , between 2016 and 2018, but no cognizable offense was found.
Sanjeev Verma constituted a three-member committee of officers of the warehouse corporation to investigate the allegations further. Based on the recommendations of this committee, Verma says that he has lodged an FIR against Khemka.
“There has been no proper investigation into the allegations against Khemka. The quota for the downtrodden and the downtrodden was used to earn money and take bribes,” Verma told ThePrint. “There has to be a fresh investigation and that is the least we can hope for. I have only performed my official duty.”
His complaint states that “Ashok Khemka, IAS, who, being the Managing Director, was one of the members of the Executive Committee, conducted interviews with other officers and prepared the merit list of selected candidates and illegally and arbitrary Made appointments. Ignoring of rules/regulations”.
Five days after Verma lodged the FIR, Khemka wrote to Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal, seeking disciplinary action against Verma under Rule 8 of the All India Services (AIS) Rules.
He described Verma’s complaint as “false and mischievous”.
“By making a false complaint with intent to cause hurt, Sanjeev Verma, acting in conspiracy with Ravinder Kumar (original complainant), misused his official position and tried to bring to justice a public servant with a corrupt motive. Sanjeev Verma Appropriate action as per law may be taken against Ravinder Kumar and others…” His complaint, accessed by ThePrint, adds up.
“The allegations (Verma’s) are an act of personal vendetta,” Khemka said.
“The contents of the complaint are falsification of official records and have been made out because being his senior officer, the misdeeds of Sanjeev Verma were brought to the notice of the government,” he added in the letter. “Through Ravindra Kumar, he has caused unauthorized leakage of false allegations with the intention of causing annoyance and hurting my reputation. Knowing his past conduct, he will most likely destroy/tamper the record.”
He said the three-member committee’s investigation was a “sham” and “deceived, without giving me any opportunity to explain my conduct”.
defend your stand
Defending his position, Verma told ThePrint that “a crime has occurred, and I, as an officer, reported the crime”.
“Nowhere in the AIS rules it is written that an IAS officer cannot report a crime,” he said. “Everything is before the government. If they want to investigate me or my intentions, I am open to any investigation by state or central agencies including CBI or court supervised judicial inquiry.
Meanwhile, Khemka termed the old and new complaints against him as a “conspiracy to defame”.
“It is ridiculous. One cannot say whether this is an organized political scheme, but it is certainly retaliatory. The allegations are motivated by sheer malice,” he said.
ThePrint reached out to Kaushal via call, text and mail seeking his comment on the issue, but did not get revert till the time of publication of this report.
Explaining how Vij came into the picture, Khemka alleged that Haryana Police initially refused to register his counter-FIR against Verma.
“I was told that they need to get approval from the Chief Minister’s Office. I verbally informed the state home minister that the police officers were not registering my complaint. After his intervention an FIR was registered.
Khemka said Vij held a meeting with senior police officials in his presence and ensured that the complaint is lodged.
“The Home Minister took it upon himself to rectify the situation in the best possible way. I am grateful for their intervention,” he said.
When asked about Khemka’s allegation, a senior Panchkula police officer said that they were only “following defined procedures and standard protocols in the matter of filing complaints against IAS officers”.
playing politics?
Vij and CM shared a openly conflicting relationship, In 2020, for example, Khattar brought The state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was under his wing, although it was traditionally under the purview of the Home Department, which is headed by Vij.
“The situation got so complicated in 2020 that our national (BJP) president (JP) Nadda Yes Had to intervene,” said a senior BJP leader from the state.
Then, in July 2021, Vij alleged that some officials were obstructing his departmental work to “appease” Khattar. Earlier this year, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was provided security became the subject of inconsistency in between them.
On the latest demonstration, the senior BJP leader said: “Anil Yes Always want to show people that he is with honesty and hence he has come out in public in support of Khemka. He is known to be an honest officer and there is speculation that Khemka may join AAP.
When asked about the IAS officers feud and its possible political basis, Haryana BJP general secretary Vedpal said both Khattar and Vij have a “different way of working”.
“Their opinion may differ on the subjects. But, ultimately, they are working in the interest of the state. There is no such difference between Anil Vij and Chief Minister on these officers.
BJP general secretary in-charge of Haryana Vinod Tawde said these are “administrative issues, and both the leaders are very senior”.
“One is our chief minister and the other is in-charge of the house. Anil Vijo Yes A veteran in the party,” he said. “All we want to say is that these leaders should do things in a good and amicable manner. The party has not intervened in the matter so far.”
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)