SRINAGAR, May 28: Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Kuldeep Khoda is likely to be appointed as the state’s first Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) despite a lack of consensus between the government and the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Khoda’s name has been sent to the state Governor N N Vohra after a meeting of a panel consisting of representatives of the ruling coalition partners – National Conference, Congress as well as the Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who belongs to the NC, chaired the panel meeting.
The 1974-batch IPS officer of J&K cadre, Khoda, who retires in three days time, has been named for the position of CVC while two others R K Jerath and Syed Khan have been recommended for being members of the Vigilance Commission.
But Mehbooba Mufti reportedly walked out of the meeting over Khoda’s nomination, raking up the issue of civilian deaths in 2010 when widespread clashes took place between Kashmiri youths and security forces.
“He (Khoda) is also reportedly facing public interest litigation in the state high court over accusations of his involvement extrajudicial killings in Doda when he was DIG of that range. Though the petition is still to be admitted, it has not been rejected either and the allegations established by a crime branch probe need to be investigated properly,” Mufti said.
“Khoda’s nomination would smack of quid pro quo and amount to a brazen compromise on fighting corruption. It would seriously dent the credibility of the commission if it were to be established the way the government wants to fill it up with favorites.”
However, a senior minister Ali Mohammed Sagar told reporters ,”Institutions such as the vigilance commission should be kept above politics, but unfortunately some persons are politicizing the appointments to these institutions.”
He confirmed that the recommendations had been framed and submitted to the Governor.
