Police get HC nod to probe case against Ajatshatru

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today directed the police go ahead and investigate a case registered against sitting BJP Member Legislative Council Ajatshatru Singh, alleged to have carried out illegal construction in the protected greenbelt area around the Dal Lake in the Gupkar area of Srinagar.
The High Court also directed the retired Sessions Judge, appointed to probe the complaint against Sports Minister Imran Raza Ansari, to complete his investigation in five weeks.
The directions were passed today by a division bench of Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, which is hearing a public interest litigation on the conservation of the Dal Lake.
The orders followed after Advocate General Jahangir Ganai furnished information to the court about filing of an FIR at the Ram Munshi Bagh police station in Srinagar against Ajatshatru Singh. “The police station concerned to proceed in accordance with law,” the division bench said in its orders today.
In his undertaking filed before the bench through his counsel, the MLC submitted that he would not raise any construction on the site in question and shall abide by the rules and the court directions.
The High Court made it clear that any breach of its orders, statute and undertaking would be viewed seriously. “Appropriate action in accordance with the law will be taken against the defaulters which include initiation of contempt proceedings against them,” the division bench warned.
In its detailed report filed before the High Court filed in August this year, a panel of the court-appointed commissioners had submitted that “upon an observation and information it was found out that within the prohibited area of the Dal Lake, a sitting MLC, namely Ajatshatru Singh, had been carrying on some construction activity in the Gupkar area.”
Subsequently, in its order on August 22, the High Court while impleading the concerned MLC as the party respondent, had further directed the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, and the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, “to forthwith stop the constructions whatever is being carried out in violation of the court orders” by the MLC concerned.
On the complaint filed by the Enforcement Officer, Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), against PDP leader and Minister for Youth Services and Sports Imran Raza Ansari, the court was today assured by the Advocate General that the court direction in this connection would be complied within a week.
The High Court also directed the inquiry judge to complete the probe within five weeks and submit the report in a sealed cover to the Registrar, Judicial, High Court.
On September 29, the High Court had appointed a retired Principal District Judge as the inquiry officer to look into a complaint of misbehaviour with senior LAWDA official Suhail Hussain Reshi by Sports Minister Imran Raza Ansari.
As alleged, the minister had asked the officer how he and his team had demolished the illegally constructed structures at Lashkari Mohalla around the Dal Lake. Ansari had reportedly used unparliamentary language and had threatened to kill the LAWDA official.