Rs.200 crore Dainik Hindustan Government Advertisement Scam of Bihar : Supreme court of India will hear Shobhana Bhartia's SLP No.1603 of 2013 on July, 14,2015 next

By ShriKrishna Prasad, advocate, Munger, Bihar

New Delhi : In the globally talked Rs.200 crore Dainik Hindustan Government Advertisement Scandal, the Supreme Court of India on June 24,2015, has notified  through its website  that it is likely that the Supreme Court of India (New Delhi) will list ''the Special Leave Petition(Criminal) No-1603 of 2013 for hearing on July 14, 2015 next. "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 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 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.

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, the Kotwali P.S case No.445/2011 is prima-facie true."

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 passed an order 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.(EOM)

By ShriKrishna Prasad
Munger
Bihar
M-09470400813