New Delhi: Hours after taking charge on Wednesday, the new chief of Delhi's Tihar Jail quit saying his appointment had not been approved by the "competent authority" - or Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. Senior police officer JK Sharma had been appointed Director General of Asia's largest prison by the Aam Aadmi Party government.
Mr Sharma went to his new office in the morning but quit reportedly after learning that Mr Jung had not signed off on his appointment.
In a letter to the Delhi government written on a Tihar notepad, Mr Sharma said that since his appointment order "has not been issued with the approval of the competent authority", he was handing back charge to his predecessor. He added that he would be "happy" to return once his appointment was cleared.
On Tuesday, a newspaper report quoted sources in the Lieutenant Governor's office as saying that the AAP government had not consulted Mr Jung so the appointment was not valid.
Mr Sharma, a 1982 batch Indian Police Service officer, is Director General (Home Guard) and had been given additional charge of Tihar Jail.
Since it took charge last year, AAP has had a running feud with the Lieutenant Governor over appointments in Delhi and the control of key departments like police, law and order and land, which are currently under the Centre. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has accused Mr Jung of acting as an agent of the Centre and overstepping his brief.
The post of Tihar Jail chief has been vacant since the previous Director General, Alok Verma, was named Delhi Police commissioner in February.
Mr Sharma went to his new office in the morning but quit reportedly after learning that Mr Jung had not signed off on his appointment.
In a letter to the Delhi government written on a Tihar notepad, Mr Sharma said that since his appointment order "has not been issued with the approval of the competent authority", he was handing back charge to his predecessor. He added that he would be "happy" to return once his appointment was cleared.
Mr Sharma, a 1982 batch Indian Police Service officer, is Director General (Home Guard) and had been given additional charge of Tihar Jail.
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The post of Tihar Jail chief has been vacant since the previous Director General, Alok Verma, was named Delhi Police commissioner in February.
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