Chandigarh: The Haryana government has named the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), formerly known as the State Vigilance Bureau (SVB), in connection with the alleged cheating of two IAS officers – Sonal Goyal and Anita Yadav – and seven other officers to the tune of Rs 200. allowed to investigate. Crores scam in Faridabad Municipal Corporation
The government’s action has drawn sharp reactions from the opposition, with Congress MLAs alleging that it is still shielding its “elected” officials.
The alleged scam came to light in 2020 when several councilors Complained to Municipal Commissioner that since 2015 a contractor was not paid for showing any work against him. Much of the work was related to paving roads with interlocked tiles, and payments reportedly ran through 2020. The then SVB registered four FIRs in March and April 2022 FIR Cheating, forgery, not complying with the Public Servant Act, and various other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against several employees.
eight people, Two former chief engineers and a contractor have since been arrested.
The state government has now given permission to investigate the IAS officers – both former commissioners of the Faridabad Municipal Corporation – and others under both the FIRs as required under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
This section says, “No police officer shall conduct any investigation, inquiry or investigation into any offense alleged to have been committed by any public servant under this Act where the alleged offense relates to any recommendation made or decision taken by such public servant in official function or duties.” , without prior approval of the Govt.
In a letter written to the Director General of ACB on 7 February, the government had given permission to investigate Goyal and several former officials of the Faridabad Municipal Corporation under the second FIR dated 19 April 2022.
Then, in a letter dated February 27, Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal has written that the state government had given permission to investigate Goyal, Yadav and seven others under the first FIR dated 24 March 2022. ThePrint has copies of both the letters.
ThePrint contacted both Goyal and Yadav over the telephone. While Goyal said she could not comment on the matter as it is sub-judice in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Yadav insisted that her name was unnecessarily dragged into the case, and that she had already joined the SVB probe on 12 September.
Secretary and former Commissioner of Electricity Department Mohd Shayin Yadav had also joined the interrogation a day earlier.
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under the official lens
Although it is the officer of the Engineering and Accounts Section of the Municipal Corporation. Commissioner’s signature is required to issue clear contractors bills, payments. That’s where IAS officers Goyal and Yadav come in.
GoyalThe 40-year-old, a 2008 batch IAS officer of Tripura cadre, was on a four-year deputation to Haryana when she was posted as the commissioner of the Faridabad Municipal Corporation. He served in this position for two terms – from 6 August 2016 to 14 August 2016 and 16 September 2019 to 31 December 2019. She has now returned to her parent cadre and resident commissionerTripura Bhavan, New Delhi.
He had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2022 when, after the FIR was registered, the government permitted an “investigation” under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Goyal argued that the action of the SVB was beyond its authority and in violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
High CourtAn order dated 1 October 2022 restrained the government from taking any coercive action against Goyal. Court in another order dated 7 October 2022 prepared six questions To inquire into the validity of the proceedings initiated against him. The matter is going on.
The other officer, Yadav, 57, was promoted to the IAS in 2004 from the Haryana Civil Services. She is also the younger sister of Santosh Yadav, former deputy speaker of the state assembly.
He served as the Commissioner of the Faridabad Municipal Corporation from 9 January to 19 September 2019, and is currently posted as the Additional Chief Executive Officer of the Faridabad Metropolitan Authority.
Oath of Congress MLA
Congress MLA from Faridabad NIT constituency Neeraj Sharma played a major role in the registration of FIR and arrest in this case.
Alleged that the government is not taking any action. Sharma Was On March 22, 2022, a protest was lodged in the assembly.
Speaking to ThePrint on Wednesday, Sharma said, “I swore that day that I would not Wear shoes or wear clothes until the perpetrators of the scam are arrested. I wore shoes and clothes only in June after my arrest.”
“This government is still trying to shield its elected officials. allow for An inquiry has been given against two IAS officers, but some others who were posted during this period have also been let off,” he alleged.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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