JOIN USThe Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to file a status report on the actions taken on complaints filed by whistleblowers across the country.
A bench of Justices T S Thakur and Vikramjit Sen wanted to know from the corruption watch-dog as to what independent investigation has been taken by it on the complaints filed by whistleblowers and actions undertaken to prevent their harassment through disciplinary proceedings.
The court was hearing a 2004 PIL filed by NGO Parivartan in the wake of the killing of engineer Satyendra Dubey, working then at National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
The court’s query is significant in view of the recent suspension of Uttar Pradesh IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal for taking on sand mafia operating in Greater Noida area, bordering the national capital region.
Dubey had paid the price with his life for raising his voice by sending a letter to the PMO on alleged corruption in building highways.
In 2004 pursuant to the direction of the Supreme Court in the petition, a whistleblower notification was issued by the Centre making the CVC a nodal agency for the protection of whistleblowers and investigation on their complaints.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the system that has been put in place after the SC’s order of 2004, was not working at all. He claimed that it had in fact failed to give any protection to the whistleblowers from frivolous departmental proceedings.
In its order, the Court also asked the CBI to file a status report regarding action taken so far on the allegations made in the letters written to the PMO and the CVO of the Ministry by Dubey in 2002.