IAS officer slaps defamation notice on CM

Raipur, Sep 13 (UNI) A senior IAS officer has sent a defamation notice to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and two IAS officials, demanding Rs five crore each and an apology from them for granting permission to prosecute him in connection with the 'auto-rickshaw scam' in undivided Madhya Pradesh.

In a notice sent through his counsel, the 1971 batch IAS officer Dr P Raghavan alleged that the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary Rajendra Prasad Bagai and Additional Chief Secretary B K S Ray were responsible for denying him promotion.

The notice, sent by counsel Dr Pratap Agrawal, said the state government had granted permission for Dr Raghavan's prosecution in a case registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and contended it has no legal right to grant such permission as the cause of action, if any, arose during his posting in the state of Madhya Pradesh.

Dr Raghavan contended that there was no case against him and the Economic Offences Bureau of Madhya Pradesh had already filed final report in the competent court, which, he claimed, was accepted in the past.

The legal notice said Dr Raghavan felt that the state had granted ''unauthorised permission to malign him'' and to sabotage his promotional chances and in fact, harmed him by promoting his juniors.

The notice demanded an unconditional written apology for granting permission for prosecution without going into the factual and legal position of the case and a compensation amounting to Rs 50 million for defamation.

Dr Raghavan, who is at present posted as Director General of Chhattisgarh Academy of Administration, was earlier posted in undivided Madhya Pradesh.

After Dr Raghavan joined Chhattisgarh as the new state was carved out in November 2000, the Madhya Pradesh government filed a case against him in 2001 in connection with alleged irregularities in purchase of auto rickshaws.

Later, Chhattisgarh government, acting on a request of the Madhya Pradesh government, agreed recently to grant permission for prosecution of Dr Raghvan in connection with the alleged auto rickshaw scam.

Reacting to the notice, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh told UNI here that the case against the senior IAS officer was pending in Madhya Pradesh. ''Whenever the decision comes, we will take appropriate action as per the rules'', he added.

UNI JJ SP VD BS1807