Srinagar, Dec 12: The Jammu and Kashmir government’s move to close a two decades old case pertaining to illegal appointments allegedly made by Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir (then Law Minister) has put both the government and the minister in trouble with the State Accountability Commission Wednesday initiating suo-motto proceedings into the matter. The Commission directed the Commissioner, State Vigilance Organization (SVO), to submit a status report on the case within a week. 
The SAC chairperson Justice YP Nargotra (retd) and member Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain on the basis of a news report sought to initiate fresh proceedings in the case. The report had stated that the State Government refused prosecution sanction against Mir, who faced the charges of making illegal appointments in the J&K State Legal Services Authority (then Legal Services Board) when he was the Law Minister two decades back.
The Commission observed that “in our considered view the facts mentioned deserve cognizance and verification in terms of section 12 of J&K Accountability Commission.”
The SAC has directed its registry that the order passed by it today shall be registered as complaint for preliminary verification.
Although FIR No. 37/87 of 1988  names Mir along with two officers G M Thakur and A Q Parray as accused, the trio  couldn’t be prosecuted due to denial of sanction by the government.
“The then Commissioner of Vigilance had vide his communication dated 7-08-90 recommended that in view of the withdrawal of prosecution against two important functionaries—G M Thakur and A Q Parray, it would be in the fitness of things to withdraw the cases against all accused persons including G H Mir. It is quite unnecessary to keep the matter alive in respect of G H Mir as it puts the Government of the time in embarrassing situation each time the issue is raised in the State Legislature,” the GAD order on withdrawal of case against Mir reads.
Earlier in October this year, a Division Bench of High Court comprising Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice J P Singh while hearing a PIL had also sought records of illegal appointments made allegedly at the behest of Mir.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 12 Dec 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 IST