Petition against J

Srinagar, May 4 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir High Court has dismissed a petition against Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in forest scam case.

A single bench of the High Court comprising Justice Hakim Imtiyaz dismissed the petition filed by former general manager of State Forest Corporation (SFC) Ghulam Hassan Marazi, in which he had alleged that the appointment of Kundal Committee by the state government to investigate the forest scam was to benefit his ( the Azads) brothers.

Justice Imtiyaz, after hearing the arguments from both the side, said there was no merit in the petition against Mr Azad so it was dismissed.

The petitioner had said he was attached with the General Administrative (GAD)and was later suspended for opposing the unfair demands of Mr Azad's forest contractor brother.

He said later Kundal committee was constituted to save the Chief Minister's brother.

The case was first heard by a single bench of Justice Bashir Ahmad Kirmani but later transferred to the court of Justice Imtiyaz on the instructions of Chief Justice of the state.

During several hearings in five months the counsel for the government rejected all the allegations.

The petitioner had also questioned his attachment with the G A D, saying the government has no authority to attach an official, as there were no specific statues about the attachment.

On September 11, last year Mr Marazi was attached with the GAD and next day Mr Azad ordered the constitution of the Kundal Committee.

The committee in its report had recommended the removal of Marazi from service.

UNI BAS RSA RK1335