From Union minister to former mayor,UT probe indicts all

The report,which has recently been submitted to Deputy Commissioner Brijendra Singh,follows a year-long magisterial probe conducted by the then UT additional deputy commissioner,P S Shergill. Following a series of complaints,UT Administrator Shivraj V Patil had ordered this probe on March 20,2010. The scathing report,accessed by The Indian Express,says: “…the financial dimension of the fraudulent allotments runs into crores of rupees,which include money being paid to the politicians,police officials and officers of Estate Office.”

Recording the detailed modus operandi of the alleged nexus between the main players,Shergill,who has recently been repatriated to his parent Punjab cadre,has recommended an immediate probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged irregularities in the allotment of booths. He has suggested a criminal case against those indicted.

The case dates back to 1989,when the Bajwara market in Sector 22-D caught fire. Certain “unscrupulous” elements,who were never part of the market,connived with officials of the Estate Office and procured hawkers’ licences,so that they could become eligible for allotment of booths,in lieu of damage to their shops,the report has said.

There is a legal provision to renew all such licences annually by paying Rs 350 per annum; but no such licence was ever renewed in 17 years. The licences were finally renewed by the Estate Office after the draw of lots had already been held and illegal allotments made,the report states.

When genuine applicants,who failed to get booths in lieu of their gutted shops,approached the police and the Chandigarh Administration,fake affidavits were made with the alleged connivance of officials and fraudulent allotments were made. Inquiries were marked to police officers who too allegedly connived with the “booth-mafia”. The report says several bogus surveys and inspections were done by the Estate Office,further strengthening the claims of illegal allottees.

15 indicted

The report has indicted eight Estate Office officials for allegedly conniving with the “booth mafia” and getting illegal allotments made in favour of ineligible people. It says:

“All surveys of the Bajwara market,Sector 22-D,were stage-managed by the officers/officials of the Estate Office.”

“The officers created fraudulent evidence to make them eligible for allotment of booths in Krishna Market,Sector 41-C.”

“Prem Sharma and Ashok Bish received bribes at their homes,from members and office-bearers of the market.”

“Almost all verifications done by D S Balouria and Ashok Bish were false and for monetary considerations.”

The report has also indicted seven police officers for allegedly colluding with the “booth-mafia” by submitting fake reports without verifying the antecedents of these illegal claimants.

Charges against Bansal,others

The report raises a question mark on the alleged role of Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal. “Booth mafia has the protection of Pawan Kumar Bansal,Local MP and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Science and Technology,Government of India. The financial dimension of the fraud committed by the booth-mafia runs into crores of rupees,which include the money paid to the officers/officials of the Estate Office,Chandigarh Police,funds given to the politicians and money generated to illegal sale/subletting of booths,” the report states.

The report is equally scathing for former mayor Pradeep Chhabra. It says: “The booth mafia has been operating in Chandigarh,whose members are Pradeep Chhabra,former mayor and councillor of the area at present… The ineligible people paid heavy bribe to the police officers through Pradeep Chhabra and Prem Sharma and got clearance before the draw of lots.”

It goes on say that the role of IAS officer R K Rao,who was the then deputy commissioner-cum-estate officer “has been found to be clearly illegal in two cases,but the angle of his involvement in the booth fraud has to be looked into by the investigating agency”.

Shergill also doubts the role of UT Adviser Pradip Mehra. Following an assault on the whistleblowers in the case and registration of a police case against them,Shergill says in the report,he was asked by Mehra to let off those charged with the attack.

“To my utter surprise,I got a call from Pradip Mehra,Adviser to the Administrator,asking me why one party has been granted bail and not the other. I explained to him that the police had again favoured the illegal allottees,who were trying to interfere in the proceedings of the inquiry by physically assaulting the witnesses… The Adviser told me that Pawan Kumar Bansal,local MP and Union Minister,was inquiring about the case. At that stage,I came to know that Rajeshwar Pathak and other illegal allottees had the protection of above named central minister,” the report states.