SC seeks Gujarat govt's response to bail plea of ex-IAS officer Pradeep Sharma in land allotment case

The Supreme Court has sought the Gujarat government's response to a bail plea by retired IAS officer Pradeep Sharma, accused of illegally allotting government land during his tenure as Kutch district collector. The high court had rejected Sharma's bail plea, citing multiple FIRs against him for similar offenses. The apex court also issued a notice to the state government in a separate appeal by Sharma challenging a high court decision denying a preliminary inquiry before registering an FIR in the same case. Sharma, known for his conflicts with the state's BJP government, is currently in judicial custody.

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Gujarat government's response on a bail plea of retired IAS officer Pradeep Sharma in a case of alleged illegal allotment of government land for monetary benefit during his tenure as the Kutch district collector.

A bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan issued a notice to the Gujarat government and sought its response in four weeks.

Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for Sharma, said, ''I am the usual whipping boy of the state, who is seeking relief in the matter.'' The bench said, ''Alright, we are issuing the notice.'' Sharma has challenged the March 20 order of the Gujarat High Court rejecting his bail plea in the case.

The high court had observed that it was not inclined to favour the applicant-accused (Sharma) given the fact that there have been several FIRs registered against him in similar offences ''while sitting over the highest post of the government''.

Meanwhile, in another appeal of Sharma against the January 31 order of the high court rejecting his plea seeking preliminary inquiry before registration of FIR in the land allotment case, the apex court bench asked the state government to file its response.

Kamat said that on March 11, the court had issued a notice in the appeal and they had expressed apprehension that an FIR would be registered against him in the case.

''It happened exactly that way. An FIR was registered and he was arrested in a fresh case,'' Kamat said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, said it is a serious matter and some time be granted to him to file a response to the plea.

The bench then allowed the state government to file its response in the second matter of Sharma, which challenged the January 31 decision of the high court.

Multiple FIRs have been lodged against Sharma in cases of illegal allotment of land. Sharma is currently in judicial custody in connection with the land allotment case which was filed by CID Crime at Bhuj in Kutch district in September last year.

It was alleged that Sharma, as collector of Kutch district between May 2003 and June 2006, committed illegalities while granting non-agriculture permission for a parcel of land in Bhuj city in connivance with co-accused to get undue monetary benefits.

In the FIR, Sharma was accused of having performed his duties dishonestly and allotting government land to the co-accused at a price lower than its actual value by making an illegal conversion of the land from non-agricultural to residential, thereby causing a loss of crores of rupees to the state exchequer.

Pradeep Sharma and his brother, retired IPS officer Kuldeep Sharma, were at loggerheads with the BJP government in the state when they held bureaucratic posts.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)