HYDERABAD: AP Lokayukta P Lakshman Reddy has directed the Special Chief Secretary (Commercial Taxes) to let the CBCID probe the way the service record of P Ashok Babu, former leader of AP NGOs, who is now a sitting TDP MLC, was tampered with. Justice Lakshman Reddy issued an interim order after hearing a complaint from B Mehar Kumar, president of AP Commercial Taxes Employees' Association, who accused Ashok Babu of getting wrong information entered into his service record showing him as a commerce graduate though he did not have BCom degree.
Mehar Kumar said Ashok Babu earlier aspired to come to the head office of the Commercial Taxes Department on promotion. As that was possible only if he possessed a BCom degree, he had connived with some officials maintaining the service records of staff and ensured that wrong information was entered into his record showing him as a BCom graduate.
Later, Ashok Babu gave up his aspiration and got the wrong entries struck off in the service record. But traces of his unlawful attempt were very much visible in the record, he said. Mehar Kumar, who provided all the evidence for this wrongdoing, was aghast when the inquiry officer gave Ashok Babu a clean chit. He then made a complaint to the Lokayukta. Justice Lakshman Reddy called for a report from the Special Chief Secretary (Commercial Taxes) on the matter.
‘Case demands criminal action’
After examining the report, the Lokayukta directed him to entrust the probe to the CBCID. “It could be logically concluded that the wrong entry related to Ashok Babu’s BCom qualification. It was struck off later as this was fraught with serious consequences,” the Lokayukta said in his order.
Though the action of striking off the entry could not be attributed to any particular person at this stage, it was obviously done at the behest of Ashok Babu as that wrong entry has the potential of emerging as a piece of incriminating evidence against him in the future, Justice Lakshman Reddy observed.
“Mere disciplinary action is not sufficient in such cases, criminal action too should be initiated to deter others from implementing such wrong plans. Tell us the action taken by you in this regard,” the Lokayukta said and posted the case to November 22.
‘He didn't have a degree’
It was alleged that P Ashok Babu, NGO leader, got wrong info entered into his service record showing him as a BCom graduate though he did not have the degree.