Cashier, Agri Officer Convicted in 17-Year-Old Corruption Case in Himachal — Justice or Just Delay?
Shimla, June 27:
Seventeen years after funds meant for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe farmers were siphoned off under a seed distribution scheme, a Solan court on Wednesday finally delivered justice — albeit late — convicting two government officials for criminal breach of trust and corruption.
In a case registered as far back as FIR No. 01/2008 by the State Vigilance & Anti-Corruption Bureau (SV&ACB), the court held Hari Dutt Sharma, then cashier, and Daya Nand Garg, the Agriculture Officer, guilty of misappropriating ₹1.78 lakh — a sum that may look modest today, but was meant to support the most marginalized.
The Long Road to Justice
The SV&ACB found that Sharma failed to deposit ₹1,69,329, while ₹15,822 was recovered from Garg's possession.
Despite clear evidence, it took almost 17 years for the case to move from charge sheet to conviction — raising serious questions about the speed of corruption trials in India.
The Special Judge of Solan awarded:
Hari Dutt Sharma: 3 years imprisonment + ₹50,000 fine under IPC Section 409, and 2 years under Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Daya Nand Garg: 3 years imprisonment + ₹10,000 fine under IPC Section 409, and 2 years under Section 13(1)(c) of the PC Act.
What About the Supervisors?
While the Bureau has now recommended departmental action against supervisory officers who allegedly turned a blind eye to the irregularities, there is no clarity on whether these seniors will face real consequences or simply be shielded by the bureaucratic net.
Zero Tolerance or Zero Urgency?
DGP SV&ACB Ashok Tewari, IPS, praised the investigation and prosecution teams for securing the conviction and reaffirmed the Bureau’s so-called “zero-tolerance approach” toward corruption. But the real test lies in the time it took to nail the culprits.
If justice delayed is justice denied — then this verdict is both a relief and a reminder that Himachal Pradesh’s anti-corruption machinery still has miles to go before the system earns the trust of those it claims to protect.
#CorruptionConviction #JusticeDelayed #SCSTFundsMisused #HimachalVigilance #BureaucraticImpunity
