HC asks State Govt to file ATR in IPS officer's case

Mumbai, Mar 22 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today asked the State Government to file an action taken report (ATR) within two weeks pertaining to IPS officer Madhav Sanap who allegedly collected funds for an NGO using the police machinery.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice K Vyas and Justice D Y Chandrachud also asked the State Government to inform the court as to how much time it will take to complete departmental inquiry in the matter.

The High Court's directives have come in the wake of a PIL filed by P Ingole who has alleged that in the year 2004, Dr Sanap, who was then the Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural), had organised two musical programmes in Pune, the funds from which were not accounted.

The programmes -- ''Natrangi Naar'' and ''Awaaz Ki Duniya'', were organised and crores of rupees were collected and invested in various nationalised banks as fixed deposits, according to the PIL.

The same were later credited to the accounts of the NGO called ''Dhyas Foundation Trust'' of which Dr Sanap was the chief trustee, the petitioner has alleged.

The petitioner submitted that while a person in government office needs permission to start a charitable trust, Dr Sanap took the permission after setting up the Dhyas Foundation. Also, the monies of the trust were not accounted for. The petitioner also alleged that under the guise of calling weekly crime meetings, Dr Sanap used to discuss various financial aspects of these programmes.

Following this petition, the High Court had earlier asked the State Government to constitute an inquiry committee which had found the IPS officer guilty. The Court had also directed the State Government to consult the Home Department on whether the offence should be treated with minor or major penalty and the Home Department had confirmed that it may be treated with major penalty.

The court has also directed the State Government to take over the trust run by Dr Sanap.

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