The Rouse Avenue Court on Friday has decided to close a long-standing corruption case against a former IAS officer after 32 years of trial.
The court noted that the primary accused, now around 90 years old, had become mentally unstable and was declared “unfit to stand trial.”
The court also ordered the confiscation of several of his properties in South Delhi, which were classified as Benami properties.
Special Judge Anil Antil commented that delays in the criminal justice system, whether due to the investigating agency or tactics by the accused, often lead to miscarriages of justice. He remarked, “Delay becomes an instrument of inflicting a fatal blow on the efforts of justice dispensation” and concluded, “When the system fails, the truth remains hidden in the shudders of injustice.”
Regarding the trial’s delay, the court highlighted that this case exemplified how prolonged trials and deliberate lapses had caused justice to falter. The court criticized the investigating agency for its poor handling of the case, noting that from the beginning, it seemed the agency had no intention of bringing the case to a proper resolution.
The court observed that out of 327 witnesses cited by the agency, 48 were listed at temporary addresses like hotels and guest houses, making it unlikely they would be available for court appearances. Additionally, 200 witnesses had either died, moved away, or were unable to appear due to illness. Ultimately, only 87 witnesses were examined over the lengthy trial period, which began in 1992 with the filing of the charge sheet.
The court concluded that the crime appeared to have been meticulously planned, involving the use of fictitious or non-existent persons to acquire properties through illicit means.
In its final ruling, the court acquitted Inderjeet Singh, the brother of the former IAS officer, of all charges, citing his lack of knowledge about the properties and no legal claim over them. These properties, located in Nehru Place, were classified as Benami and were ordered to be confiscated and vested in the Government of India.
The case was initially registered by the CBI in 1987 against Surender Singh Ahluwalia, the then IAS officer and Chief Secretary of Nagaland, accusing him of acquiring assets disproportionate to his known income sources. The FIR also named three other accused, including the younger brother of the main accused; however, two of these individuals died during the trial.
