Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has registered an FIR against former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, former Additional Chief Secretary PC Kapoor and retired IPS officer AN Sharma for alleged violation of service rules.
According to vigilance sources, an FIR against Sharma, Dhumal, who was also the then Home minister, and Kapoor, the then Principal Secretary Home, has been lodged.
The case has been registered under Sections 420, 120-B of IPC and Section 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with premature retirement from Indian Police Service (IPS) and subsequent withdrawal of request for retirement by Sharma.
Additional DGP (Vigilance) Prithvi Raj confirmed that FIR has been lodged but declined to directly name the persons booked in the case.
Sharma had applied for voluntary retirement from the police services to contest 2007 Assembly polls on a BJP ticket. But when he did not get the party ticket, Sharma withdrew his resignation and rejoined the service.
Later, he was promoted to the rank of Inspector General of Police and also served as Commissioner Shimla Municipal Corporation.
In its report, the vigilance had concluded that Sharma was "illegally" allowed to continue in the job and draw all the service benefits to which he was not entitled after his resignation was accepted.
At the time Sharma applied for retirement, the Congress government was in power and his request was not entertained.
He then approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and got his retirement stayed and in the meantime the BJP returned to power in December 2007 and he withdrew the case from CAT after the government allowed him to continue.
The Congress Government led by Virbhadra Singh had initiated a probe into how Dhumal allegedly used his powers to rehabilitate Sharma into the services.
Sharma when approached said, "It's sheer political vendetta. Everything was done as per all India Service rules. I also know the law being a retired police officer."
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