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The political landscape in Uttarakhand has heated up following legal developments in a disproportionate assets case involving Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi. Pankaj Singh Kshetri, the complainant who filed a vigilance complaint against the minister, has spoken out about the hurdles he faced in seeking accountability.
According to Kshetri, despite the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) frequently championing a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, initial attempts to secure an official investigation hit a bureaucratic wall. Speaking to ANI, he said, "I filed a Vigilance complaint against Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi over alleged disproportionate assets. Since the BJP claims to have a zero-tolerance policy on corruption, I expected action. However, no FIR was registered. I was told that, as he is a Cabinet Minister, permission from the government was required, and since that permission was not granted, no action could be taken." Facing administrative roadblocks and the denial of government sanction to proceed against the sitting minister, Kshetri escalated the matter judicially. He approached the Special Vigilance Court, filing a petition under Section 173(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to mandate the registration of a First Information Report (FIR). The legal pursuit yielded a notable development on July 25, when the court issued an official notice to Minister Ganesh Joshi and summoned him to present his defence. The matter is scheduled for its next hearing on September 3, 2026, where the court will examine further proceedings as the legal battle over the disproportionate assets allegations moves forward. (ANI)
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