Srinagar, May 28: Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti Monday opposed the nomination of Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda as the first Chief Vigilance Commissioner of the state at a meeting of selection committee to finalize names of the three-member State Vigilance Commission. Mehbooba is one of the members of the panel empowered to recommend constitution of the body.
“I told the meeting that there are serious accusations against him (Khoda as the then DIG Doda range) for his involvement in a triple murder case. Even the SP Crime Branch has established to greater extent his involvement in the case,” Mehbooba told a hurriedly-called press conference at her Gupkar residence here soon after the selection committee’s meeting.
Mehbooba said she left the meeting halfway after the selection panel including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Law Minister Ali Muhammad Sagar and Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand proposed the name of Khoda for the coveted post.
“How can they empanel a man who has serious allegations of human rights violations against him? It seems he is being rewarded for covering up the killing of Haji Muhammad Yousuf (National Conference activist), who died in police custody, and Rs 90 crore scam in Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association in which name of Farooq Abdullah has figured,” Mehbooba said. “If the top most police officer who oversaw police inaction in these cases is appointed as CVC the whole exercise will look like quid pro quo and the selection process will lack credibility.
I withdrew from the meeting,” Mehbooba responded to a question.
She said she had proposed the names of former Commissioner Vigilance, Ashok Bhan, and former Financial Commissioner Home, Samuel Verghese, for the post. “They are men of integrity and they do not have any axe to grind,” Mehbooba said.
Asked whether she agreed to two other names for the post of Vigilance Commissioners, Mehbooba said: “I did not discuss them,” she said.
She said the Vigilance Commission was a sensitive organization. “If such is their approach, how can they control corruption in the state? They have no authority to talk on moral issues.”
Responding to a question that three names have been sent for Governor’s consent, Mehbooba said it was for the Governor, NN Vohra, to take notice of what happened at the meeting today. Mehbooba said they expected that the Governor would accordingly take a call on the sensitive issue.
A statement issued by the PDP, quoting Mehbooba, said Khoda was the police chief when ‘more than 200 killings took place in the state during 2009 and 2010.’ “There has been no accountability over the killings,” she said.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 28 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 28 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 IST