Scams are not new to this great country. We have seen everybody from the Prime Minister down to a class four employee of a government office being accused for corruption. As an date, the list is long and the situation is really bad.
From among the top level also there are IAS, SPS officers, high ranking officers of defence services and judges including chief justices of High Courts. While these are all from government services, private sector high ups are no exceptions.
A big debate is already on the media, the fourth estate of one democratic system, being tainted by the ‘paid news’ affairs, exposed by veteran journalists like Dr. P. Sainath.
The means of corruption between the politicians and business people have reached a stage where the crorepatis of India have themselves become the political leaders parading as peoples representatives!
But one of the most shocking episodes of the latest revelations have been the loot of the Provident Funds of the poor class four employees of the judicial offices of Ghaziabad. These involved are judicial officers and their accomplices.
It is a clear case of deceit and loot. Many skeletons tumbling out of the cupboard, the case was taken up by CBI and a chargesheet has been filed in CBI court at Ghaziabad on 1st July 2010.
According to news paper reports, the chargesheet “clearly implicates” six former district judges of Ghaziabad of having obtained “valuable things/services in the form of monthly rations, fruits, vegetables, sweets, jewellaries, sarees, computers, television, refrigerator, washing machine, mobile, crockery, taxi service, photo/video coverage of private functions and home furniture.”
The chargesheet reveals that Rs. 6.58 crores were fraudulently withdrawn from the provident fund of class four employees of Ghaziabad district courts over a period of 2000 to 2008. Bill clerk and court Nazir Ashnthosh Asthana was named pointsman. This person had died while in custody and this death has raised many eyebrows.
It is also of interest to note some of the judicial officers said to be involved in this scam had been promoted as High Court Judges.
Latest informations is that while the hearing had started in the CBI court of Ghaziabad, Attorney General of India has approached the Supreme Court, with a plea to transfer the case to outside Uttar Pradesh, as the present Ghaziabad District Judge, under whose administrative control, the CBI court is functioning is interfering with the trail.
The attorney General had to say that the six former judges and 48 other staffers indicted in the case have “close associates” working in Ghaziabad Court and have also contacts with various judges and magistrates posted in Ghaziabad and other UP districts.
The affidavit filed by the attorney also said that CBI judge in whose court CBI had filed the case had worked with/under some of the chargesheeted judicial officers.
The continuation of the trial at Ghaziabad would hamper the testimonies of 13 judicials officers and 25 court employees who have to give crucial evidence in the case.
The sad state of affairs in the country can be understood from this case where the provident fund amount of Rs. 6.58 crores can be looted by the superiors and their accomplices, who in this case are judicial officers themselves! So much for the rule of law!!
Source: www.citucentre.org
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