Controversies related to the N N Mathur Commission simply refuse to die down. After questions being raised over its formation and existence,  the commission members' move to send in their resignations has only added fuel to the fire. What was claimed to be a grudgeless and unbiased inquiry into corruption charges against the former Vasundhara Raje government, has now reportedly degenerated into a mere political gimmick of the present state government.

The commission was announced in January 2009, a month after the Ashok Gehlot government came to power. The judicial commission was to look into the corruption charges to the tune of Rs 22,000 crore, laid against the former Raje government by the Congress during the 2008 election campaign.

The members claimed they are voluntarily withdrawing from the commission. The resignations came a day after the Rajasthan High Court ruled that its order last week declaring the commission illegal was clear and did not any clarification. While Justice (retired) N N Mathur, who was heading the commission, sent in his resignation from Jodhpur, former state chief secretary Inderjeet Khanna faxed in from Delhi while former IPS officer H N Meena sent it from Jaipur to the chief minister's office.

Though, the state government has officially not issued any statement or clarifications regarding the resignations, officials maintained that the resignations have not been formally accepted as yet. However, what weight do these resignations have when the commission itself does not exist?

"Technically, nothing," admits a senior government officer. "As on date, the commission does not exist, so the question of members resigning from their post or the state government accepting or not accepting their resignations, does not arise. However, the paper work has to be completed," he elaborated.

Less than a year after it was announced, the high court ruled the existence of the commission is illegal and following the order, the commission stopped to exist. However, on Thursday evening, the panel members went ahead and forwarded their resignation letters to the CMO.

According to sources, the state government has deferred the decision on the resignations as the state government is yet to consider filing an appeal against the order in the Supreme Court. The commission had been mired in controversies since the very beginning.