DELHI GOVT PLEA FOR ACTION AGAINST ACB CHIEF DISMISSED
The Delhi high court on Tuesday dismissed the AAP government’s plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) chief Mukesh Kumar Meena for allegedly violating the court’s order by removing a station house officer of the antigraft body.
The AAP government had alleged that Meena “blocked” the ACB’s work and violated the court’s order to “act” in accordance with the law.
“The contempt case is dismissed,” a bench of chief justice G Rohini and justice Jayant Nath said.
In its contempt plea, the government alleged that Meena had arbitrarily replaced the then SHO of ACB with another person. It had said Meena had “wilfully violated” the high court’s June 29, 2015, order asking the ACB chief, a lieutenant governor-appointee, to act in “accordance with the law”.
The contempt plea said Meena and the SHO appointed by him had not lodged an FIR against two officials of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), who were allegedly caught accepting bribe.
During the hearing last year, additional solicitor general (ASG) Sanjay Jain, appearing for Meena, had said: “There was absolutely no wilful disobedience” by the chief of Delhi’s ACB, who had acted in accordance with the law by not lodging an FIR.
The ASG had said the DDA officials were central government employees and the ACB did not have powers to take action against them.
On Tuesday, the bench noted its last year’s verdict had ruled that matters connected with ‘services’ fall outside the purview of the legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi.
“In the light of the findings recorded in the above order, we are of the view that it is not necessary for this court to go into the correctness of the allegations in the contempt case and to return a finding as to whether the conduct of the respondents would amount to wilful disobedience of the order of this court,” the bench said.
In the light of the findings recorded in the above order, we are of the view that it is not necessary for this court to go into the correctness of the allegations...