2nd chargesheet against Shukla pending with DoPT

The investigating agency told the court that one chargesheet is already pending with the DoPT,which is the controlling authority for service conditions of IAS officials.

It also told the court that some more time would be needed to complete investigation in the three other FIRs registered against Shukla. The state government told the court that Shukla was under deemed suspension and had never joined the Board of Revenue following his release on bail on August 9.

In its status report,filed in a sealed envelop,before a division bench of Justices Amar Saran and Pankaj Naqvi,the CBI told the court that the chargesheet in the FIR pertaining to alleged financial bungling in upgradation of 40 district hospitals in the year 2009-10 has been prepared and an application seeking sanction to submit it before the court concerned was sent to the DoPT on Wednesday.

The previous chargesheet,already pending with DoPT,pertained to alleged financial bungling in connection with upgradation of 89 hospitals in the state.

“The court had sought the status report from the CBI and we have informed it that chargesheets are ready in two FIRs,while investigations in the remaining three would be completed soon,” said CBI counsel Anurag Khanna.

It was in connection with the FIR pertaining to upgradation of 89 hospitals that Shukla was arrested on May 10 and released on bail on August 9.

Shukla had approached the High Court seeking quashing of the FIRs on the ground that the CBI had not taken prior approval from the DoPT for prosecuting him,as he was an IAS official. The CBI had challenged his plea on the ground that when the High Court had ordered investigation,no prior approval from the DoPT was required.

Satish Trivedi,counsel for Shukla,said: “The state government counsel told the court that he was deemed suspended following 48 hours after his arrest and was not given any joining with the Board of Revenue following his release on bail. He is still under suspension.”

When contacted,an aide of Chief Standing Counsel (CSC) Yashwant Verma,who appeared for the state,said the CSC was not in a position to comment on the matter as the court was yet to pass an order.

Shukla,who was principal secretary of family welfare and health department,when the alleged scam took place,was posted in the Board of Revenue as Member (Judicial) at the time of his arrest in May. Following his release,there were reports that he had resumed service. The court had taken note of the reported developments and asked the state government to clarify its stand on the matter.