Rs.200 crore Dainik Hindustan Government Advertisement Scam of Bihar : Supreme court of India will hear Shobhana Bhartia’s Criminal Appeal No.-1216/2017 on Dec.05, 2017 next…
By ShriKrishna Prasad, advocate, Munger, Bihar
The order of the court of Hon’ble Mr.Justice R.K.Agrawal and Hon’ble Mr.Justice Navin Sinha on Nov 28,2017
New Delhi : In the globally talked Rs.200 crore Dainik Hindustan Government Advertisement Scandal, the Supreme Court of India, on Nov,28, 2017 , has notified through its website that the Supreme Court of India (New Delhi) will list Criminal Appeal No.1216/2017 {SLP(Criminal)No.1603/2013} for hearing in the court of Hon’ble Mr.Justice R.K.Agrawal on Dec 05, 2017 next.
The court of Hon’ble Mr.Justice R.K.Agrawal and Hon’ble Mr.Justice Navin Sinha, on Nov 28, 2017, heard the mentioning and passed an order,” Upon being mentioned, the court made the following order—List the matter on 5th December, 2017.’’
The senior lawyer of Munger(Bihar) ShriKrishna Prasad,appearing on behalf of the Respondent No.02 (Mantoo Sharma, a resident of Munger, Bihar) of the S.L.P (Criminal) No.1603 / 2013, on Nov 28, 2017, appeared before the court of Hon’ble Mr.Justice R.K.Agrawal and Hon’ble Mr.Justice Navin Sinha and prayed to the Hon’ble court by mentioning,” My Lordship, my humble prayer before the Lordship is to list this case for hearing on any date as it was listed in this court for Nov 27, 2017, but couldn’t come up in the cause-list.”
“It is Smt. Shobhana Bhartia, w/o Shri Shyam Sunder Bhartia, a resident of 19, Friends Colony(West), New Delhi -110065, who has filed the S.L.P(Criminal) No-1603 of 2013 (now Criminal Appeal No. 1216/2017) in the Supreme Court of India, praying the supreme court to quash the Munger(Bihar) Kotwali P.S case No.445 of 2011,dated 18-11-2011).
It is important to note that Smt. Shobhana Bharatia is the Chairperson of Mess. Hindustan Media Ventures Limited (New Delhi). Smt. Shobhana Bhartia’s company prints, publishes and distributes the popular Hindi daily ‘Dainik Hindustan’. What is in the Munger(Bihar) Kotwali P.S CaseNo.445 /20111(dated 18 Nov.2011) ? In the F.I.R No.445/2011, dt 18 Nov.2011,one social worker, Mantoo Sharma, a resident of Puraniganj locality of the Munger town has accused (1) the Principal accused Shobhana Bhartia(Chairperson, Hindustan Publication Group-Mess. Hindustan Media Ventres Limited, Head Office- 18-20, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi, (2) Shashi Shekhar(Chief Editor, Dainik Hindustan, New Delhi, (3) Aakku Srivastawa (Acting Editor, Dainik Hindustan, Patna Edition), (4) Binod Bandhu (Regional Editor, Dainik Hindustan,Bhagalpur edititon, Bhagalpur) and (5) Amit Chopra, Printer & Publisher , Mess. Hindustan Media Ventures Limited, Lower Nathnagar Road, Parbatti, Bhagalpur of violating different provisions of the Press & Registration of Books Act, 1867 and the IPC,printing and publishing the Bhagalpur and Munger editions of Dainik Hindustan (A Hindi daily) using the wrong registration No. and illegally obtaining the govt. advertisements of the Union and the State governments upto Rs. 200 crore approximately in the advertisement head by presenting the forged documents of registration before the Bihar and the Union governments.
RTI activist Mantoo Sharma,his lawyer Shrikrishna Prasad and Advocate-clerk (Supreme Court) K.K.Choudhary are seen coming out of the Supreme Court after mentioning in the Hon’ble Supreme Court on Nov 28, 2017.
The Munger (Bihar) Kotwali police have lodged a criminal case(F.I.R No.445/2011) u/s 8(B),14 &15 of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 and sections 420,471 & 476 of the Indian Penal Code against (1) Shobhana Bhartia,(2) Shashi Shekhar,(3) Aakku Srivastawa,(4) Binod Bandhu and (5) Amit Chopra on Nov, 18,2011 .All five are named accused persons in this criminal case of forgery and cheatings.
The present status of the police investigation in this case: The Deputy Police Superintendent(Munger) ,A.K.Panchlar and the Police Superintendent (Munger), P.Kannan have submitted the ” Supervision Report No.01 ” and ” the Supervision Report No.02” in this criminal case.In the Supervision Report No.01 & 02,the Dy.S.P and the S.P have concluded the following facts : “On the basis of facts, coming in course of investigation and supervisions , and available documents in the Kotwali P.S. case No.445/2011, all allegations are prima-facie true against all named accused persons including the principal accused Shobhana Bharatia .”
Patna High Court Order: It is worth mentioning that the Hon’ble Justice, Smt. Anjana Prakash , in the Criminal Miscellaneous No. 2951 of 2012( Smt. Shobhana Bhartia ,Petitioner Vs (1) State of Bihar,(2) Mantoo Sharma,Munger & others) on Dec, 17, 2012, has rejected the petition of the accused person, Shobhana Bharatia and others and has directed the Munger Investigating Police officer to expedite the investigation and conclude the same within a period of three months from the date of receipt of this order.
By ShriKrishna Prasad, Advocate, Munger, Bihar
Moble No. 9470400813
