The Supreme Court has dismissed a prayer for a CBI inquiry into 8 missing antique Iranian carpets worth more than Rs 250 crore and outrightly refused to issue any new directive in the case
At a time, when Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has been caught on sticky wicket over introduction of Ordination that aimed at shielding public servants and gagging media, here is the much needed breather from Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has dismissed a prayer for a CBI inquiry into 8 missing antique Iranian carpets worth more than Rs 250 crore and outrightly refused to issue any new directive in the case. A bench of Supreme Court judges Ranjan Gogoi ans Navin Sinha observed that there was not enough evidence to pursue the case. The opposition Congress has been alleging role of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in missing of these carpets.
In a plea filed by Ram Singh Kaswan, who has been contesting this case at various courts, the bench said that since the closure report has already been filed in the case and there was no need to issue new orders. The Rajasthan High Court has already dismissed this case in April 2016 following which Kaswan had moved Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court order has put a pause on all speculations and allegations regarding any role of CM Vasundhara Raje in the missing of these valuable carpets. Senior counsel at Rajasthan A K Jain said that the order has proved that the case was a mere political conspiracy against Raje.
“Congress weaved this issue without any ground just to get political mileage. The apex court’s order is a big jolt to Congress and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot,” he said.
Congress and its leaders including Ashok Gehlot has been weilding attack on Vasundhara Raje over these carpets which went missing since Raje lost elections in 2008.
“ Eight antique carpets were reportedly procured by the chief minister’s office when Vasundhara Raje was CM in 2005. But after she lost the next election and ceased to be chief minister, the carpets could no longer be traced,” said a PWD official.
During the tenure of Ashok Gehlot, an FIR was lodged in 2009 by Satyendra Kumar, executive engineer (PWD) at the secretariat division, at Ashok Nagar police station on November 6, 2009. The FIR claimed that Rakesh Bhargav, the then executive engineer of PWD at the secretariat division had procured the eight antique carpets from Rajasthan State Hotel Corporation at Khasa Kothi, a former palace converted into a hotel and run by the Rajasthan State Hotel Corporation (RSHC). Bhargav, the FIR had added, procured the carpets after receiving a demand from the chief minister’s office on March 3, 2005, first for two carpets and again on September 17, 2005, for six more carpets for use at the CMO and at the chief minister’s residence.The carpets, which are of antique value are said to be 125 years old. The carpets were in 2005 rented out for two years by RSHC and were handed over to the OSD to the Chief Minister, Dhirendra Kamthan. But after the lapse of two years, the carpets were not returned by the CMO and the Government ceased to pay any further rent either.
Now that the Supreme Court has dismissed the plea, Congress has lost a big issue which could have been used to corner Raje in next assembly elections. Ram Singh Kaswan, who is considered as a hardcore loyalist of former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said that now there is no alternative left after this ruling.
“My job was only to file the petition. It’s the court which has to decide the merit,” he said.A BJP leader said that the Supreme Court order has exposed the ‘malafide intention’ of Ashok Gelhot who was allegedly using his close aide Kaswan as an instrument to frame Raje.
“SC has put an end to malicious intent of Congress and Gehlot. They fabricated stories and tried to frame Raje and BJP government in this case. But they could not present any evidence. Truth always prevails. Public will definitely understand the misdeed of Congress,” he said.
Congress, which was looking to keep this issue alive till next elections for gaining political mileage by filing petition through Kaswan in Supreme Court, looked stumbling for words.
“We respect the decision of Supreme Court. We can’t argue. It can only be discussed in the parliament. BJP is in majority, they should initiate discussion on this ,” said Archana Sharma, Congress spokesperson.
BJP state president Ashok Parnami lashed Congress on the issue, “Its just another false allegation of Congress that has fallen flat on grounds of truth, the opposition should now resolve to fair politics instead of stooping down to mud-slinging on false allegations,”
Kaswan: A motivated petitioner?
It seems Ram Singh Kaswan, a known Gehlot loyalist, is an habitual petitioner against Raje. At least, past record says so. He has launched several unsuccessful attempts to question Raje's decision in court. Every time, his petitions were dismissed at all the levels of judiciary - whether it was district court, High Court or Supreme Court. Kaswan had tried to grill Raje government on the issue of mines allotment levelling corruption charges against the government. But the petition was quashed by High court as well as the Supreme Court in want of proper evidence. His intention to harm the image of CM Vasundhara Raje was evident with the fact that he made Raje a party in this case.
Apart from that, he also moved all the courts in Dholpur land compensation case where NHAI had awarded compensation to Raje's son Dushyant Singh against the acquisition of parcel of land near Dholpur Palace. Kaswan contested the compensation award at all courts that also didn't hold water in courts.
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 "Ashok Gehlot and Vasundhara Raje")
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