Wiretap on trader, Haryana ex-bureaucrat booked for graft

CHANDIGARH: A former Haryana bureaucrat was booked on corruption charges by the state’s crime branch on the basis of telephonic intercepts during wiretapping of Hisarbased trader. Following a police probe, an FIR was registered against the officer and two others in February 24, 2017 The bureaucrat, M L Kaushik, a 2001 batch IAS officer, who was then DC Hisar, was booked after police found his PA Satish Kumar seeking money on his behalf from trader Rakesh Gupta for okaying a contract for supply and installation of gymnasium equipment in the district schools.
Kaushikwas asked by the Punjab and Haryana high court on March 19, 2018, to appear before the crime branch office in Hisar to join the investigation.

Probe found misuse of position by then DC

In its recent orders, HC, has however, restrained the police from arresting him. The matter is pending before the HC for further hearing on May 4. The matter reached the HC in the wake of petition filed by Kaushik against the FIR.

According to Kaushik, the FIR was registered due to mala fide intention to defame and harass him because the then Hisar SP Satish Balan and then IGP S S Kapoor were against him and had allegedly conspired to harass and humiliate him. He also denied receiving any bribe as mentioned in call intercepts of his former PA.

Kaushik is facing charges of criminal conspiracy and under the Prevention of Corruption Act along with his former PA and the trader. The incident pertains to Kaushik’s tenure as Hisar DC from July 2013 to January 25, 2014. Hisar cops had put a mobile number, issued in the name of one Rakesh Gupta, on surveillance after taking requisite permissions in an old case. In one of the conversations, a demand for bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh was made by PA of Kaushik, then DC, to Gupta.

As per the FIR, during Kaushik’s tenure as DC Hisar, an order worth Rs 85 lakh was awarded in favour of co-accused Gupta for supply and installation of gymnasium equipment in the district schools. A probe by Hisar IGP’s task force revealed that Kaushik misused his position for placing the order for supply of sports equipment and gave undue pecuniary advantage to Gupta’s firm---M/s Shiva Traders. According to police, a total bribe of around Rs 11lakh was paid for the DC. The police have submitted documents of the intercepts and clearance of files by DC in accordance with alleged conversation.