Notice to Administration on XEN’s plea

CHANDIGARH, May 12: The UT Administration, besides the Administrator, were today issued dasti notices for May 17 on an application filed ...

CHANDIGARH, May 12: The UT Administration, besides the Administrator, were today issued dasti notices for May 17 on an application filed by dismissed executive engineer A.K. Gupta.

Gupta, along with K.S. Brar, Surjit Singh and Baljinder Singh, were dismissed by the UT Administration on May 10 in the alleged silt scam case.

Today, pronouncing the orders in the open court, administrative member V.K. Majotra and Judicial Member Jasbir Singh Dhaliwal also directed: "Notice to other respondents (Union of India and Union Public Service Commission) be sent through ordinary process. He (the applicant) will be heard for interim relief on the date fixed".

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Earlier, in his application challenging the May 10 dismissal order, Gupta had stated that the appeal against the UT Special Judge’s order, holding him and the co-accused guilty, had been admitted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 11, 1998 and his bail had been extended during the pendency.

Going into the background of the case, he had stated that the Special Judge on February 28, 1998 had sentenced him to two years rigorous imprisonment after holding him and the co-accused guilty.

The counsel for the applicant had added that an FIR was lodged on June 9, 1992 under Section 418, 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code on the basis of a false news "planted and published" in the newspaper. The news item, he had elaborated, had alleged that the contract for desilting Sukhna Lake had been given by officials of the engineering department at exorbitant rates.

According to the item, the excess money, allegedly paid to the contractor, had actually been shared with the department officials.