The Delhi government today moved High Court seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Anti-Corruption Bureau chief MK Meena
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government today moved Delhi High Court seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) chief MK Meena for allegedly violating the court's order by removing an officer of the anti-graft body.
On June 29, the high court declined the Arvind Kejriwal led government's plea to restrain Joint Commissioner of Police from working as the ACB chief. The same evening, Mr Meena had issued an order transferring inspector Vinay Malik as Station House Officer (SHO) of the ACB and appointed inspector Brij Mohan in his place.
The Delhi government's petition is likely to be heard by the high court tomorrow.
In its contempt petition, the government said that it was constrained to file it, as Mr Meena had "willfully violated" the court's June 29, 2015, order, which had asked Lieutenant Governor-appointed ACB chief to act in accordance with the law.
The government also sought contempt proceedings against Mr Mohan, saying he was acting under direct instruction and orders of Mr Meena.
The government's standing counsel, Raman Duggal said, "Summon the respondents (Mr Meena and Mr Mohan) and punish them for having committed contempt of court under the provision of the Contempt of Court Act."
The plea said Meena "ensured" that no First Information Report (FIR) was registered on the complaints forwarded to the ACB between June 8 and 17. It also accused him of addressing the media "without having the authority to do so".
The petition also said that Mr Meena had purportedly scrapped the anti-corruption helpline number established with the approval of Council of Ministers of the Delhi government. It further alleged that the ACB chief had prevented the receipt of the complaint sought to be submitted by SDM and the registration of an FIR thereupon, by orchestrating the removal of the FIR book and the 'Roznamcha' from the precincts of the ACB which is a police station under...CrPC and is wholly illegal Act".
The interim order was passed on the Delhi government's plea for quashing the May 21 order of the Centre barring the anti-corruption branch from proceeding against any staff under Centre's control.