In a significant legal setback, Congress MLA from Arki and former chief parliamentary secretary, Sanjay Awasthi, failed to secure any relief from the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Thursday. The court permitted him to withdraw his petition which sought the quashing of a First Information Report (FIR) registered against him in a case involving allegations of forgery and criminal conspiracy.
The Core Allegations and Withdrawn Petition
The case revolves around a serious accusation from over two decades ago. Sanjay Awasthi is alleged to have falsely authenticated, on May 14, 2001, cricketer Vikramjeet Malik's claim of being a resident of Himachal Pradesh. This authentication was crucial as it allowed Malik to register with the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) and subsequently play for the state's Ranji Trophy team. The central issue is that Malik was actually born in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, and not in Himachal Pradesh.
At the time of the incident, Awasthi, a former cricketer himself, held the position of president of the Solan District Cricket Association. He was also serving as a municipal councillor in Solan from 2000 to 2005.
Legal Proceedings and Government's Stance
The legal journey of this case has seen several twists. Earlier, on July 26, 2024, Awasthi's counsel had informed the high court that the state government had initiated steps to withdraw the case against the MLA. This prompted the court to direct the government to verify the status of the proposed prosecution withdrawal.
However, this claim was contradicted by earlier judicial proceedings. A special judge in Solan had already framed charges against both Awasthi and Malik on April 21, 2022. The judge noted that prima facie offenses under Sections 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code were made out.
After multiple adjournments, the state government finally clarified its position on October 30, 2024. It informed the high court that "there is no proposal with regard to the withdrawal of the prosecution." This definitive statement left no room for Awasthi's petition to proceed. Consequently, the bench led by Justice Virender Singh allowed Awasthi to withdraw his petition, recording it as "dismissed as withdrawn."
Broader Investigation and IPL Connection
This case is not an isolated incident but part of a larger probe by the Himachal Pradesh Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau. The bureau has been investigating cases where several cricketers from other states allegedly obtained Himachali domicile certificates using false documents to play for the state.
The bureau filed its first chargesheet in this wider probe in June 2013 against cricketer Kuldeep Diwan of Kullu. Vikramjeet Malik and Delhi-based cricketer Sobers Joban are among the co-accused in this overarching case.
Vikramjeet Malik, a bowler, leveraged his Himachal registration to play for the state's Ranji team before entering the high-profile Indian Premier League (IPL). His IPL career saw him represent franchises like Kings XI Punjab (2009–2011), Rajasthan Royals (2013), and Royal Challengers Bangalore, which picked him in the 2016 auction.
The court's decision marks a pivotal moment in a long-pending case that highlights issues of fraud and integrity in state-level sports registrations. With the petition dismissed, the legal proceedings in the lower court are expected to continue their course.
