Lokayukta probe trashed, MP officer gets plum post

Three months after Som Group diaries led to corruption case against A.N. Singh, Chief Minister appoints him the state DGP

YOGESH VAJPEYI

BHOPAL, JANUARY 7: Promotion of ‘‘corrupt’’ politicians and officials seems to happen fast in Digvijay Singh’s state. Within three months of a corruption case against A.N. Singh on the basis of a diary seized from the owners of the Som Group of Distilleries, the IPS officer has bagged a plum posting.

Singh, who was additional DGP (intelligence) when the scam broke out, took over as state DGP on New Year’s day. And not an eyebrow has been raised in the political or bureaucratic circles. ‘‘It’s Digvijay Singh’s way of asserting that the documents seized by Income Tax sleuths during raids on the Som Group are nothing,’’ was the cryptic comment of a senior official.

A.N. Singh figured among the state’s 90 senior politicians and officials against whom cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act were registered in September 2001 following an Indian Express report on the documents seized during the raid.

One of seized papers referred to an arrangement under which a group of country-liquor distillers were to pay a Rs 10-crore bribe to the Chief Minister, the Excise Minister and others. Digvijay Singh denied the charge and asked the Prime Minister as well as the Lokayukta to get the matter investigated by any agency.

The state Home department defends A.N. Singh’s selection. ‘‘The government found him suitable in seniority and performance. An officer’s career can’t be written off on the basis of an FIR,’’ argues a senior official.

Though the new DGP doesn’t wish to comment on the episode, senior IPS officers point out that the registration of a case doesn’t mean the charges have been proved. And a public servant cannot be punished just because a case has been filed.

In the midst of the clamour for Digvijay’s head, the Lokayukta had clarified that the alleged arrangement to pay the Chief Minister and Excise Minister was mentioned in only an unsigned paper.

While ordering an inquiry into the authenticity of this paper, he found enough preliminary evidence to register cases against other politicians and officials. Specific payments to them were mentioned in the documents and cash books seized.

The politicians booked in the Som Group case include Leader of Opposition Gauri Shankar Shejwar, two dozen police officials and four dozen Excise officials.

Digvijay’s critics say that despite his avowed respect, the state government has never taken the Lokayukta’s recommendations seriously.

‘‘Digvijay is willing to give the Lokayukta the power to haul anyone for contempt but not corruption,’’ says a former chief secretary.

In September last year, the assembly passed a Bill giving contempt of court powers enjoyed by high courts to the Lokayukta. But the Bill gives him no power to enforce its orders or recommendations on the government.

In 1997, the Lokayukta recommended prosecution of then Deputy Chief Minister Pyarelal Kanwar, Cooperative minister B.R. Yadav and three IAS officers. Digvijay’s public stand then was that the Chief Minister had the discretion under the Lokayukta Act to accept or reject any of the panel’s recommendations.

His government applied the same logic to refuse sanction for prosecuting ministers B.R. Yadav and Rajendra Singh in the Indore Development Authority case subsequently. When Governor Bhai Mahavir gave the sanction on his own, his power to do so against the advice of the Cabinet was challenged. The matter is now pending in the high court.

Many say A.N. Singh’s choice was prompted by Digvijay’s political compulsions. ‘‘Ignoring Singh’s seniority would have amounted to giving credence to the documents IT officials seized during the raids,’’ says a Congress leader. ‘‘This could have rebounded on him since his name too figures in the papers seized.’’