The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to provide details regarding investigation into the alleged illegal recruitments by the state government between 1993-98.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice Kuldip Singh passed this order on a petition of former Chairman, HP Subordinate Services Selection Board SM Katwal, alleging that despite registering FIR No. 1/2006 at the Vigilance police station, Shimla, on the directions issued by this court on November 7, 2005, no investigation was being done in the alleged illegal recruitments case and no progress was made in the case after the court stopped monitoring it.
A division bench has directed the investigating officer in the case to remain present in court with the records on its next hearing on July 1. The bench has asked the state to prepare details of the nature of investigation conducted into the case from November 2005 onwards.
Earlier, the BJP led 1998 state government had ordered an inquiry by setting up two committees in the matter of recruitments/appointments made from December 1993 to Februray 1998 in various departments/ boards/corporations/universities. The inquiry was entrusted to Avay Shukla, the then MD, HPMC, and Harsh Gupta, the then Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Industries). In the submitted reports, irregularities in the matter of recruitments were pointed out and the court had directed the Vigilance to probe in the case.
