PREM PARKASH Vs. STATE OF HARYANA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) F .I.R. No. 2 dated 20.1.1999 has been registered at Police Station Vigilance Bureau, Rohtak under Sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B I.P.C. and Section 13(i) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Both these petitions arise from the same F.I.R. and, therefore, are being disposed of by this common order.

(2.) THE material allegations in the F.I.R. are as follows :- "Dharam Singh, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Khotpura in connivance with the B.D.P.O., Panipat, the Panchayat Secretary and the contractor, has sold the jungle standing in the area of 80 acres of Shamlat land for Rs. 1,80,000/-. This jungle was planted by the Forest Department 12 years ago and there were 30,000 to 40,000 trees. During investigation it was found that in the panchayat land of Khotpura measuring 22 hectares 36,320 trees of different kinds were planted out of which 1,551 trees were valued at Rs. 1,45,110/- by the Forest Department for auction. The remaining trees standing in the jungle were sold by Dharam Singh (Sarpanch) in connivance with Manohar Lal, the B.D.P.O., Panipat (petitioner in Crl. M. 20974-M/99), Prem Parkash Contractor (petitioner in Crl. M. 20744-M/99) and Ram Kumar, Secretary.

(3.) I have heard the counsel for both the sides and perused the records on file.