Date:03/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/03/stories/2008050360590300.htm

New Delhi

Charges to be framed against 17 officials accused of fraud

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: A special CBI court here has ordered framing of charges against 17 officials of the Central Water Commission who were allegedly involved in siphoning off more than Rs.23 lakh of public money on the basis of forged and fake vouchers.

Special CBI Judge I.K. Kochhar passed the order against all the 17 accused after finding prima facie evidence against them. The Judge said it was prima facie evident that the accused had resorted to wrongful withdrawals to cause pecuniary advantages to themselves and correspondingly a loss to the Government.

The charges can be framed against the accused for cheating, forging documents, impersonation and abusing official position.

It was on the complaint of the then Secretary and Chief Vigilance Officer of the Commission that the CBI had registered a case. The CBI has alleged that one of the accused, Y.P. Sharma, who was then a professional assistant with the Commission, had deposited the fraudulently issued cheques in the account of the then Director R.L. Kawale in active connivance with others.