Chargesheet filed against Himachal ex-CM, MP son over HPCA row

Dharamsala, April 25 (IANS) A chargesheet was filed in a court here Friday against former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and his MP son Anurag Thakur, among others, over alleged wrongdoing in allotment of land to the state's cricket association for constructing a residential complex for players near its stadium here.

The filing of the chargesheet followed the Himachal Pradesh High Court dismissing the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association's (HPCA) petition seeking quashing of a First Information Report (FIR) against them under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The FIR was lodged against 18 people, including senior government functionaries.

The state government April 2 got sanction to initiate proceedings against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dhumal for alleged wrongdoing during his regime as chief minister (2002-07) in allotment of land to the HPCA, led by his son and Lok Sabha member Thakur, who is also a joint secretary in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Thakur is re-contesting the parliamentary election from Hamirpur.

The state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had filed a cheating and misappropriation case in August 2013 against the HPCA.

Acting Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir reserved the order April 7 after hearing the arguments of both parties -- HPCA and the state. The former pleaded that the FIR was vague, malicious and a result of political vendetta.