The High Court on Monday directed the government to furnish records related to the selection of executive officers in Khadi & Village Industries Board (KVIB). The KVIB had attracted criticism for violating norms in making the selections which forced the government to order an inquiry into the matter.
A bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey also directed the committee headed by principal secretary Home Department R K Goel, probing the selections, to collect the records from the office of KVIB.
“On the basis of examination of the records, committee to expedite their inquiry within one month,” the court said.
An aggrieved candidate Tamseel Hussain Khan has approached the court, challenging the selections of the four candidates against the posts of executive officer.
Khan has challenged the selection on varied grounds with particular reference that the “selection process was initiated by violating all the norms and laws on the subject.”
He submitted that noticing hue and cry raised by the aggrieved candidates, the Government has constituted a high-level committee for conducting inquiry headed by R. K. Goel, principal secretary Home Department. “The respondents 5 to 8 (four selected candidates) shall not be given benefit arising out of the selection/appointment till next date before the Bench,” the court said, directing the government to file response to the petition by May 7.
The court asked senior additional advocate general B. A. Dar to apprise the principal secretary Home about the orders passed by it so as to enable him to submit the compliance report.
The appointments came under question after the name of Syed Aroot Madni, son of ruling PDP vice-president Sartaj Madni, figured in the selection list. Madni was selected as executive officer in the KVIB.
Former Chief Minister and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah had termed Madni’s appointment as fraud and demanded a High Court-monitored investigation into the case.