Ashna and Arushi were on their way to school, when they were stopped and threatened. The sisters narrated the incident to their father — Sanjay Gupta, a 1988 ias officer, of the Himachal Pradesh cadre — who is being punished for being fiercely honest. For infuriating the erstwhile rulers of Bushahar. For not sparing ‘Raja’ Virbhadra Singh, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, and a member of the Bushahar royal family in a land scam case. For finding him guilty of violating revenue laws.

Ironically, after the exposé, Gupta himself is facing several charges and has been placed under suspension. He has been denied medical leave. Denied salary for the past 17 months. He has been posted under a junior officer on a non-cadre post and his security has been withdrawn. Gupta, who refuses to comment on the case, moved court three months ago asking for security, change of his cadre and a cbi inquiry into the matter.

THE CASE
Sanjay Gupta as additional commissioner, appeal, and director, consolidation of holdings, probed the land scam involving Virbhadra Singh and his family. In a letter dated December 18, 2002, Gupta says that offences were committed by Singh and his family under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the hp Forest Act and the hp Private Forest Act, in connivance with government officers. This caused losses to the state exchequer.

The report reveals that the rulers profited through sales, gifts, acquisitions, by retaining 40,000 bighas of excess land after 1948. The entire ruling family, according to the
agreement with the government of India, claimed 7,805 bighas of land and 1,300 bighas of forest land.

The inquiry was conducted following a complaint by one Baldev Sharma. In his complaint, Sharma, levelled serious allegations against Singh and his family members, the rulers of the erstwhile Bushahar state. He also alleged that trees on government land were sold illegally by the family.

The investigating officer indicted Singh for creating false tenancies to circumvent the provisions of the hp Ceiling on Land Reforms Act, 1972. From private correspondence with Singh’s secretary, DS Thakur, it is evident that Singh was aware of these provisions and used his influence to prevent the land from being declared surplus under the Ceiling Act.

In connivance with officials, Singh got himself registered as a tenant and acquired proprietary rights over the land. In the process, he caused a loss to the exchequer by evading stamp duty. Such transfers can be effected through registration of the sale deed.

Similarly, Rajmata Shanti Devi gifted 77 bighas of land to her daughter Maina Kumari Devi in Tayawal village. Of this, 39 bighas were gifted to Virbhadra Singh’s daughter, Anuradha.