After High Court rap, government extends suspension of Lalit Kala Secretary Sudhakar Sharma
NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday extended Lalit Kala Akademi secretary Sudhakar Sharma’s suspension by 180 days and issued a fresh charge sheet against him, a day after the Delhi High Court slammed it for delay in cleaning up the national fine arts academy.
The culture ministry has also finally moved CBI against Sharma and served a second charge sheet, detailing 26 offences, people aware of the development told ET. While the older charge sheet held about 10 charges, another 16 have been added after an endorsement by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to proceed against Sharma, they said.
The Mahesh Sharma-led ministry had taken over the Lalit Kala Akademi in 2015 amid charges of grave irregularities and with a mission to clean it up. But there has not been much changes since.
Sharma — who was suspended twice earlier over allegations of corruption — was reinstated by the ministry in April 2015 despite concerns. Further, an interim administrator was appointed suddenly, replacing the ministry’s own bureaucrat.
The government suspended Sharma again on January 9, 2017 after, sources said, the Prime Minister’s Office took note of repeated complaints, including over missing artworks of painter M F Hussain. His extended 180-day suspension applies with effect from April 8, 2017.
The Delhi High Court on Monday had come out strongly against the culture ministry, and said the appointment of interim administrator as an eyewash that allowed Sharma to continue to control the affairs at the Akademi. Sharma refused to comment when contacted by ET.
In a meeting held on December 6, 2016, the ministry had found many of Sharma’s administrative appointments illegal. In the same meeting, connections between Sharma and the missing prized art pieces from the Akademi had also been made.
“In a recent PMO reference, the reply of which is under submission to the HCM (honourable culture minister), has observed that many high value paintings of artists like M F Hussain have been found missing in LKA (Lalit Kala Akademi).
The role of Shri Sudhakar Sharma in this case is highly suspected,” read the meeting note, a copy of which has been reviewed by ET. The culture ministry and the Akademi have been at loggerheads over Sharma for years now.
The culture ministry has also finally moved CBI against Sharma and served a second charge sheet, detailing 26 offences, people aware of the development told ET. While the older charge sheet held about 10 charges, another 16 have been added after an endorsement by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to proceed against Sharma, they said.
The Mahesh Sharma-led ministry had taken over the Lalit Kala Akademi in 2015 amid charges of grave irregularities and with a mission to clean it up. But there has not been much changes since.
Sharma — who was suspended twice earlier over allegations of corruption — was reinstated by the ministry in April 2015 despite concerns. Further, an interim administrator was appointed suddenly, replacing the ministry’s own bureaucrat.
The government suspended Sharma again on January 9, 2017 after, sources said, the Prime Minister’s Office took note of repeated complaints, including over missing artworks of painter M F Hussain. His extended 180-day suspension applies with effect from April 8, 2017.
The Delhi High Court on Monday had come out strongly against the culture ministry, and said the appointment of interim administrator as an eyewash that allowed Sharma to continue to control the affairs at the Akademi. Sharma refused to comment when contacted by ET.
In a meeting held on December 6, 2016, the ministry had found many of Sharma’s administrative appointments illegal. In the same meeting, connections between Sharma and the missing prized art pieces from the Akademi had also been made.
“In a recent PMO reference, the reply of which is under submission to the HCM (honourable culture minister), has observed that many high value paintings of artists like M F Hussain have been found missing in LKA (Lalit Kala Akademi).
The role of Shri Sudhakar Sharma in this case is highly suspected,” read the meeting note, a copy of which has been reviewed by ET. The culture ministry and the Akademi have been at loggerheads over Sharma for years now.
