In a significant legal development, a court in Gujarat’s Kutch district sentenced former IAS officer Pradeep Sharma and three others to five years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) in connection with a land allotment scam that occurred in 2004. The case involved irregularities in the allotment of government land to Saw Pipes Pvt Ltd, which allegedly caused a loss to the public exchequer.
On Saturday, the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) JV Buddha in Bhuj convicted Pradeep Sharma, who was the district collector of Kutch at the time, along with urban planner Natubhai Desai, former mamlatdar Narendra Prajapati, and former resident deputy collector Ajitsinh Zala. All four accused were sentenced to five years of RI and slapped with a fine of ₹10,000 each.
The case dates back to 2004 when Sharma, in his capacity as the district collector, was accused of unlawfully allotting government land to Saw Pipes Pvt Ltd for industrial purposes. According to the prosecution, Sharma violated the state government’s guidelines by allotting land exceeding the prescribed limit of two hectares for industrial purposes, as set by the Gujarat Revenue Department’s resolution of June 6, 2003. The prosecution argued that Sharma had acted beyond his authority, resulting in financial benefits to the company while causing a significant financial loss to the state.
The court’s ruling took into account a total of 52 documentary pieces of evidence and the testimonies of 18 prosecution witnesses. The charges against the accused, including criminal conspiracy, abetment, and official misconduct, were based on their actions during the District Land Valuation Committee’s meetings. The accused were found guilty of conspiring to illegally allocate the land, thereby violating government regulations.
Sharma’s sentence will commence after he serves the five-year term he was sentenced to earlier this year in an unrelated corruption case in Ahmedabad. The conviction and sentence mark a significant step in the fight against corruption, particularly within the ranks of public officials.
This case stems from a First Information Report (FIR) filed in 2011, which led to Sharma’s arrest in March of that year. The conviction serves as a stern reminder of the legal consequences that await those involved in corruption and the misuse of authority for personal gain.
The case has drawn attention due to the high-profile nature of the accused, with Sharma having served as a prominent administrative officer in Gujarat. His conviction is expected to set a precedent for future cases involving public officials accused of corruption and misconduct.
Sources By Agencies
