By Arun Pratap Singh
Nainital, 8 Apr: The Nainital High Court has taken a stern stand in the ongoing vigilance investigation against Bhupendra Kumar, Deputy General Manager (Finance) with the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC). The court has directed the vigilance department to conclude its inquiry within three months, intensifying the pressure on the officer accused of serious financial misconduct. It may be recalled that Kumar has been accused of serious financial irregularities by the officials of the UTC and though the first complaint had been filed in 2023, the inquiry against Bhupendra Kumar remains far from being complete. The employees also allege that Kumar is well connected and claims before other officials that nothing will happen to him despite the inquiry.
It may be recalled that Bhupendra Kumar has been under scrutiny since May 2023, following a detailed complaint submitted by the State Corporation Employees-Officers Federation to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The complaint had alleged large-scale corruption involving the misuse of his official position for personal financial gain. According to the complaint, substantial sums of money were deposited in the bank accounts of Kumar’s wife and children by contractors and employees in return for the processing of dues and payments.
The High Court’s order comes as a significant blow to Kumar, whose plea to cancel his transfer to ISBT Delhi was also dismissed by the court. It remains to be seen if the judiciary’s firm position on the issue of corruption and lack of action in the nearly two-year-long investigation will now yield any concrete outcome or not in the case.
In their complaint, the Employees-Officers Federation had accused Kumar of accepting bribes from both serving and retired employees of the Corporation in exchange for releasing payments and dues such as gratuity, arrears, and medical reimbursements. It was also alleged that he created a network within the Corporation to facilitate the collection and laundering of illicit funds.
Despite the ongoing inquiry, the officer has reportedly remained active, with allegations surfacing that he has been misusing medical leave to lobby for a favourable posting. The Federation has warned against any attempts to revoke Kumar’s transfer and has urged the Corporation’s Managing Director not to shield him from disciplinary action.
Now the Federation has also written a letter addressed to the present Managing Director of UTC, Reena Joshi (IAS) emphasising that any relief given to the officer would be viewed as institutional support for corruption. The federation members also hinted at escalating the matter to the Chief Minister again and launching a public campaign if decisive action is not taken.
The High Court’s directive can now be expected to accelerate the vigilance proceedings, which have been stagnant for almost two years. However, the final outcome remains to be seen. It may also be reminded here that the federation in its letter has also attached bank statements in respect of alleged transactions by the contractors and others into bank accounts of the family members of Kumar.
