Thaindian News

Chandigarh, July 3 (IANS) A Haryana judge who settled 148 cases in a single day last year has been dismissed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court for favouring an official in a 2007 corruption case. But he says he has been falsely implicated.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Ashwani Kumar Shori, posted in Kaithal town, was dismissed in a full court meeting May 19. The decision was made public Saturday.

He was dismissed for favouring the then deputy commissioner of Kaithal Rajinder Kataria and for pressuring the then additional deputy commissioner of Kaithal Sanjeev Verma, who was also the complainant in the 2007 graft case.

But claiming innocence, Shori told IANS: “I do not even know Kataria personally so why should I favour him in any case. They are trying to falsely implicate me.”

“In fact Verma wanted to give some contract related to Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to his friend’s company. He has his own vested interests in all this,” he added.

According to the complaint, Verma had highlighted the case of financial irregularities, worth Rs.1 million (Rs.10 lakh) in the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. It said Kataria was also involved in the scam and the case reached the court of Shori in 2007.

“When I highlighted this case, Kataria got very angry with me. Shori called me to his retiring room and created pressure on me to take back the complaint,” Verma told IANS.

Currently, Verma is posted as additional deputy commissioner in Panchkula district.

Kataria, who is also the son-in-law of Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Phool Chand Mulana, is posted as administrator of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA).

Kataria said: “When I was posted in Kaithal, four-five cases of corruption against Verma had come before me. He has done all this to save his own skin.”