Congress asks Dhumal, Thakur to resign

By PTI

Updated: Sunday, September 7, 2014, 13:49 [IST]

Dharamsala, Sep 7: A day after a trial court here issued summons to former chief minister and MLA P K Dhumal and his MP son Anurag Thakur in connection with a case of land allotment to HPCA, Congress on Sunday demanded their resignations.

"Both the BJP leaders had been accusing Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in view of a matter pending in the Delhi High Court, though till date no order has been passed against him.

"Now as the court of special judge at Dharamsala has issued notices against them and 14 more persons, they must resign till the decision of the case comes," said Congress spokesperson Jitender Sharma.

Sharma said Prem Kumar Dhumal and Anurag Thakur hold Constitutional posts in state Assembly and Lok Sabha, respectively, and they should resign immediately.

A trial court here yesterday issued summons to Dhumal, his two sons and others to appear in person before it on October 27 in a case pertaining to allotment of land on lease to Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA).

Eighteen people were charged on April 25 for alleged wrongdoing in allotment of land to HPCA, headed by Anurag Thakur, for constructing a plush residential complex for players near its stadium in Dharamsala.

Special Judge (Vigilance) K K Sharma issued summons to the accused but did not issue the same to two serving IAS officers, Deepak Sanan and Ajay Sharma, as the prosecution agency is yet to get sanction to proceed against them.

Sanan and Sharma were posted in the Revenue Department and Youth Services and Sports Department, respectively, when the land was allotted to HPCA.

The state government had on April 2 given sanction to initiate proceedings against Dhumal, during whose tenure as CM (2008-12) the land was allotted to the HPCA.

Thakur is also the Joint Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

The state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had registered a case in August 2013 against the HPCA functionaries under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988.

PTI