Gurgaon: A local court has directed the police to register an FIR against former minister Sukhbir Kataria and others for alleged misuse of government grants by diverting benefits to ineligible persons.The petition filed last year by a Gurgaon resident, Om Parkash, claimed that Kataria abused his ministerial position between 2014 and 2019 to secure a Rs 20 lakh govt grant for a female acquaintance allegedly residing in his own building. The grant was intended for the construction and repair of houses for the economically weaker sections.Parkash alleged police delay in acting on the matter, prompting him to approach the court. Observing that the evidence indicated possible misuse of public funds for personal and electoral benefit, chief judicial magistrate Rajat Verma on Friday asked SHO of New Colony police station to register a case under IPC sections 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 405 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servants), 420 (cheating) and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Kataria.The complaint alleged that former minister Sukhbir Kataria misused his official position to facilitate illegal grant of funds to individuals like Sharmila Devi and others, by falsely showing them as residents of a property that allegedly belonged to him. According to the complaint, the grants were purportedly diverted to secure “votefakes.”The police, in their action taken report, confirmed that grants had been provided at the request of the former minister. However, it stated that clarification regarding the legitimacy of the grant and the residential details of the beneficiaries could only be provided by the concerned department and the deputy commissioner’s office.Appearing in person, Parkash argued that the electricity bill submitted by the beneficiaries for verification bore the address of a house owned by the minister himself.No detailed defense arguments are recorded in the court order, but the police position effectively suggested administrative verification was required rather than immediate criminal action.The court found the allegations “credible in nature” and noted that they point to serious misuse of public funds and abuse of authority by a public servant.“The grant appeared prima facie illegal and contrary to its intended purpose. The allegations disclose offenses of criminal breach of trust, cheating and corruption,” the court noted.It also pulled up police for not conducting a proper investigation. “The police have failed to conduct an independent and impartial inquiry before filing their report,” the court said. It further held that such matters require a “thorough and impartial investigation” to ascertain the truth and collect evidence.Last year, the court of additional judicial magistrate Manish Kumar asked the SHO of Sector 5 police station to register an FIR against Kataria and even others, among them his sister, for allegedly receiving govt grants they were not entitled to during his tenure.The police had earlier given Kataria a clean chit and filed an action taken report, but the court ignored that, ordering that “the case shall be investigated as per law”. It had sought a compliance report from police by July 7.Kataria was earlier accused of encroaching on govt land along old Delhi-Gurgaon road for running commercial establishments. He also faces charges for registering fake voters in the Gurgaon constituency in 2009.
