A petition was today filed in the Delhi High Court seeking removal of Anna Hazare from the drafting committee of Lokpal Bill alleging he was found guilty of corruption relating to the administration of a trust run by him.
The PIL filed by an NGO, National Anti-corruption Public Power, alleged a judicial inquiry led by former Supreme Court Judge Justice P B Sawant held Hazare responsible for misappropriation of Rs two lakh from the Hind Swaraj trust run by him.
The alleged misappropriation of fund had occured during the celebration of Hazare’s birthday at his village Ralegaon-Siddhi in
The petition said Justice Sawant had, in his report, concluded that “there had indeed been misappropriation of Rs 2 lakh from the Hind Swaraj trust amounting to corruption – to celebrate Anna’s birthday in his village Ralegaon-Siddhi”.
“After detailed inquiry, the Commission had in its report submitted in 2005 specifically given its finding that Hazare was guilty of corrupt practices (involving misadministration of one of his trusts),” the NGO alleged.
According to the petition, the “Commission’s report says that some of the workers of Hazare’s Bhrastachar Virodhi Janandolan Trust were abusing the platform for anti social activities such as extortion of money and blackmailing (by threatening to expose corruption through use of RTI)”
The Commission was set-up in 2003 to inquire into allegations levelled by Anna Hazare against certain ministers, which, after allegations by one Sureshdada Jain had to inquire against Hazare’s trust’s and NGO’s as well.
“Apart from the Commission’s report, the petitioner claims to have obtained “certified information from relevant department that one of the trusts (Hind Swaraj Trust) of Anna Hazare is un-registered but he has shown it to be as registered long back and has been receiving money illegally,” claims the NGO president Hemant Baburao Patil.
The petition also claims Hazare was once prosecuted and sent to jail by a minister in a defamation case though he was released within one day.
