New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday sought responses from the centre, the lieutenant governor and the Delhi government on a plea filed by an accused seeking to suspend the commission of inquiry into the alleged multi-crore-rupee CNG fitness certificate scam.
A number of officials of the previous Sheila Dikshit government are under the scanner in the scam.
A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath, while refusing to pass any interim order in the case, issued notice to the union home ministry, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and the Arvind Kejriwal government on the plea.
The plea said the Delhi government issued notification setting up a commission of inquiry without the lieutenant governor’s nod, and sought direction to stay the inquiry.
The court sought the government’s response by September 23 and clubbed the plea with a similar plea.
The plea was filed by M.A. Usmani, a former deputy commissioner of transport under the Delhi government who was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) and spent 58 days behind bars. He was granted bail later.
Advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Usmani, told the court: “There is difference of opinion between the LG and the Delhi government. However, neither the LG nor the Delhi government are acting in accordance with Article 239 AA and the procedure prescribed under the transaction of business rules for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD).”
Luthra said the lieutenant governor has already chosen not to act in the case by denying the prosecution sanction while the union home ministry has also opted not to act in the matter.
On August 11, the government issued notification to appoint the commission into the scam that is already being probed by the ACB.
The commission of inquiry will be headed by retired Delhi High Court judge Justice S.N. Agarwal.
The scam came to light in 2012 when the ACB found that the Delhi government had lost nearly Rs.100 crore in alleged irregularities in awarding contract to operate and maintain inspection and certification of CNG vehicles at the transport authority in Burari.