President rejects Lokayukta's recommendation to sack Chauhan
Ending months of uncertainty, President Pratibha Patil has rejected the city Lokayukta's recommendation to sack Delhi PWD Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan for his alleged involvement in protecting a leading resort in a tax evasion case.
The Home Ministry on Wednesday conveyed decision of the President through a letter to Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin who indicated his deep disappointment over rejection of his recommendation, saying such reverses are expected when moral values are sought to be enforced.
"The President has not accepted the findings and recommendations made by the Lokayukta against Chauhan," the Home Ministry said in the letter.
Sarin had in February recommended to the President to ‘withdraw her pleasure’ for the Minister to continue in office, holding him guilty of misconduct of ‘grave nature’.
Home Minister P Chidambaram, when asked about President's rejection of the Lokayukta's recommendation, said the procedure has been followed in dealing with the report by the anti-corruption watchdog.
"There is a procedure to deal with the report. That procedure has been followed," Chidambaram said.
Justice Sarin's order had come in a case pertaining to Chauhan's alleged involvement in influencing a team of tax officials when they were carrying out a survey in the Tivoli Garden resort in South Delhi in February last year.
The Lokayukta order had said that ‘the Minister made a telephone call to the Commissioner of Trade of Taxes in the evening of February 20 last year when a team of tax officials were carrying search and survey at the premises of Tivoli Garden Resort to unearth huge evasion of taxes and concealment of income.’
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