Chouhan gets a clean chit in dumper scam

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan was absolved of a charge that he misused his official position to rent out dumper trucks to an industrial house as a quid pro quo for allotting a mining lease.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan was on Monday absolved of a charge that he misused his official position to rent out dumper trucks to an industrial house as a quid pro quo for allotting a mining lease.

The CM got the clean chit when a court accepted the Lokayuktas closure report in the case that first surfaced about five years ago.

The dumper scam,as the Opposition called it,had troubled Chouhan and his wife Sadhna Singh,in whose name the dumpers were purchased,with him maintaining that no irregularities were committed.

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Incidentally,it was Uma Bharatis party that had highlighted and pursued the allegation from streets to courts before the Congress latched on to it.

The Special Police Establishment,which works under the Lokayukta,submitted a closure report last December holding that none of the charges against the CM was proved.

Over the last few months,the court heard objections against the report from the original complainant and an intervener.

District Prosecution Officer Rajesh Raikwar said the court accepted the report in toto while rejecting all the arguments against it.

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The case had been registered against Chouhan and his wife in November 2007.