However, the very next day (August 01, 2011), a special court gave clean chit to Chauhan, his wife Sadhna Singh and some of his close associates in, what had come to be known as, the “Dumper case”. The court accepted the closure report of the Lokayukta in the case. The complainant Ramesh Sahu, reacting to the verdict, said he would go in appeal to the High Court.

Ramesh Sahu, in his complaint filed with Lokayukta had alleged that Shivraj Singh and his wife used their influence to give the dumpers owned by them on hire to Jaypee Associates, a company based at Rewa. Even the margin money for the loan taken for purchasing the dumpers was deposited by the company. It was further alleged that to hide her identity his wife gave a wrong address while registering the vehicles. She even abbreviated her husband’s name.

In his judgment, Bhopal Additional district judge RPS Chauhan said that the margin money had been raised through sale of land by Sadhna Singh, after her husband had filed the affidavit listing his assets along with his nomination papers for the assembly polls in 2008. The remaining amount was raised through loan. Other technical charges were of no importance. The court said that since the company had sought a local address, it was duly provided. Giving a local address was no offence. The court commented that the innocence of the non-applicant (Chief Minister) was made evident by the fact that he sold the dumpers to Jaypee Associates and repaid the loan amount after coming to know of his wife’s transaction. The court also noted that the income earned through dumpers and trippers was shown in income tax returns and thus it was not a concealed income. Even otherwise, the non-applicant held such a post that he would not indulge in corruption for a few thousand rupees. A man in such a position can make “millions and billions even without involving his relations in a deal”. Hence, prima facie, it was unimaginable that the non-applicant would commit the mistake of doing business in the name of his wife. Also, he closed down the business once he came to know about it. Hence, the investigative agency did not commit any error in considering his act as not an act of corruption.

The clean chit to CM and his wife is bound to give a great boost to the political career of Chauhan. The “Dumper case” was the only graft charge against him and with the court’s decision, the sole black spot on his political career has been wiped off. The verdict has come as a disappointment for his intra-party detractors, who were praying for a repeat of Karnataka in Madhya Pradesh. The Chief Minister will now be freer to act against the corrupt elements in his council of ministers and in the party.

The main opposition Congress has described the investigation into the case as a “sham”. State Congress spokesperson Arvind Malaviya said that they would go in appeal against the court order in the High Court. The Congress said that Karnataka CM Yeddyurappa had resigned before an FIR could be lodged against him in the mining scam and former MP Chief Minister Uma Bharati had quit after a Hubli court issued an arrest warrant against him. In Chauhan’s case, an FIR was lodged against him and his wife in the dumper case at behest of the court and the Lokayukta was asked to investigate the matter. Yet, the Chief Minister continued on his post and his party also did not ask him to resign. (IPA Service)