Bhopal: Lokayukta, EOW await prosecution approval against ‘corrupt’ officials

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Special police establishment (SPE) Lokayukta and Economic Offences Wing are waiting to get approval from the state government to begin a prosecution against the alleged corrupt officials. The two agencies have been approaching the government seeking approval to begin the legal proceedings against government servants in as many as 329 cases, however, there has been no sign of any action from the government's side.

Sources close to EOW said as many as 29 cases were registered against the ‘corrupt’ officials and 89 accused were named in the FIR. The government is yet to give approval to begin the prosecution process against these ‘corrupt’ officials. Similarly, more than 300 cases are pending with the SPE-Lokayukta for the government approval.

The ‘prosecution’ is ‘the process of officially charging somebody with a crime and of trying to show that he/she is guilty, in a court of law’. The two agencies - Lokayukta and EOW were established to initiate action against the corrupt government officials. However, before beginning the prosecution of the officer accused of corruption and financial wrongdoings, the two agencies have to take permission from the state government, which is called ‘prosecution approval’.Many times the state government gives the approval to begin prosecution of the officials, but in many cases the approval keeps for the past several years with the government.

Cases of bureaucrats , senior officials pending with Lokayukta

As many as 25 cases of retired IAS officer Ramesh Thete, one case of another retired IAS officer Akhilesh Kumar Shrivastava and one case of IFS officer Ram Das Mahela are pending with the government for prosecution approvals. The agency is waiting to file the charge sheet against the officials, however they cannot proceed until the government gives prosecution approvals. Director general of SPE, Yogesh Choudhary told Free Press that every quarterly the letter is sent to the state government to get the prosecution approvals in the cases. The government has given a nod to a few, but many are still pending.

EOW cases........................

A case of former collector of Katni Anju Singh Baghel (now retired) is pending with the principal secretary (PS) general administration department. The EOW had registered the case against the then collector in 2011. Several other cases are also awaiting the government’s approval for prosecution.