Shimla
HP High Court heard the case involving the allegations of corruption against a senior IAS officer posted in Bilaspur district. The case, titled M/s MG Sky Adventures Vs. State of HP & Others (CWP No. 11269 of 2024), was brought forward by Gaurav Garg, an entrepreneur involved in the tender process for a multi-crore tourism project in the Gobind Sagar Lake region.
During the hearing ,Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua, Advocate Kul Bhushan Khajuria represented the petitioner, while Advocate General Anup Rattan, along with
Additional Advocates General YPS Dhaulta, Amandeep Sharma and Dalip K Sharma, appeared for the state. The court issued notices to respondents No. 6 to 8, setting the next hearing date for October 28, 2024. The petitioner has also been granted the liberty to serve these respondents through ‘dasti’ (personal service) within two days.
The court disposed of a related application (CMP No. 18662 of 2024), directing the petitioner to file English translations of relevant documents before the next hearing. The case centers on allegations that the IAS officer accepted money in the name of the Chief Minister and became an undisclosed partner in the aforementioned tourism project, which focuses on adventure water sports and allied activities. Garg has accused the officer of using the Chief Minister’s name to facilitate corrupt dealings within the tender process initiated in March 2024.
At a media briefing in Shimla, Garg claimed that the IAS officer pressured him to form a joint venture with two individuals purportedly close to the Chief Minister. “All the paperwork was done in his office and a notarized agreement was drawn up without my signature,” Garg stated, alleging that the officer is now pressuring him to either quit the venture or remain silent regarding the corruption.