Ghaziabad Bar Association moves SC for CBI inquiry into GPF scandal

New Delhi, Jun 22 (UNI) The Ghaziabad Bar Association has filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding a CBI inquiry into the Rs seven crore General Provident Fund (GPF) scandal, which allegedly took place in the Ghaziabad district court treasury. According to the petitioners, the scandal is not of Rs seven crore but the total money illegally siphoned off during last seven years is around Rs 23 crore. The petitioners have challenged the Allahabad High Court order for dismissing their petition for a CBI inquiry into the scandal, which involves 36 Judges including one Judge of the Supreme Court, 12 Judges of the High Court and remaining Judges of District Courts. The main accused in the case, Ashutosh Asthana, former Treasurer of the Ghaziabad District Court, who is presently in jail, in his statement made before a magistrate under section 164 CrPc has alleged that at least 36 Judges are the beneficiaries of the swindled money. According to the statement of Asthana, out of the 82 others, who are facing allegations for illegaly defrauding the district court's treasury of over Rs seven crore, a majority of the accused include grade three and four employees of the Ghaziabad Dist Court and some private individuals, who have been fraudulantly shown as the government servants. The statement of Asthana is admissible because it has been recorded by a Court. The Allahabad High Court had dismissed the petition of the Bar Association on March 19, expressing satisfaction over the investigation being carried out by local police. According to the petitioner, in order to ensure a free and fair investigation into the scandal, an independent investigation agency like CBI should be roped in. The FIR registered by local police has made only grade three and four employees as accused, while the names of Judges have been exempted. According to the petition, which is likely to come up for hearing in the apex Court after its summer break also alleges that Asthana had purchased mobile phones worth Rs three lakh between April 23, 2007 and January 21 this year but no investigation has been carried out to know who are the persons, who have been give the mobile phones purchased from the ill-gotten money.

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