Meena refuses to face 'illegal' inquiry panel

LG-appointed ACB chief skips Kejriwal govt probe

Anti-Corruption Branch chief M K Meena on Friday refused to appear before the commission of inquiry set up by the Arvind Kejriwal government to probe into the CNG fitness scam.

Sources said the Lieutenant Governor-appointed ACB chief decided not to turn up atn the office of the commission, created by the Delhi government, as it “does not exist in law”.

“A petition over the validity of the commission is pending in the Delhi High Court. How can the ACB recognise a body which does not exist legally?” said an ACB investigator, justifying Meena’s cold shoulder to the commission.

A functionary in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s office refused to react to the Meena’s abstention.

“It is between the commission and Meena. We cannot comment on the issue,” said an advisor, claiming that the commission has been given office staff support to function on premises in Vikas Bhawan in ITO.

Meena’s decision to ignore the commission’s notice is sure to increase the friction between the AAP government and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung who was personally instrumental in posting Meena as the head of the ACB despite opposition by the Aam Aadmi Party government.

A few weeks ago, Meena summoned Rajendra Kumar, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, for questioning as he was also an official who was serving in the Delhi administration during the scam.

Kumar, however, did not appear before the ACB and the Delhi government took the stand that it did not recognise Meena as a legally appointed head of the anti-corruption unit.

On Thursday, the ACB named nine people in its chargesheet filed in the Rs100 crore CNG vehicle fitness scam that allegedly took place during the previous Sheila Dikshit dispensation.

Soon after the formation of commission, Meena, who is also serving as joint commissioner of Delhi Police (New Delhi range), openly came out against it and  said that he “will not allow any interference in the ongoing investigation”.

The Union Home Ministry last month termed the setting up of commission of inquiry by the Delhi government as “illegal and invalid”.

“The MHA terms the commission of inquiry constituted by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) as legally invalid and void ab initio,” reads a statement issued by the office of the Lieutenant Governor last month.

In a communication to Meena, the commission’s secretary Ashok Kumar said he was summoned as he directed his team’s officials not to share information pertaining to the case. The directions “appeared to be over-reaching the directions of the commission”.
“You have directed your officials working under your control not to supply any document or share any information concerning the CNG fitness scam case,” it said.

“The commission has desired to give an adequate hearing to you as also to the counsel for the applicant who has moved the application for directions for production of the record before passing an appropriate order in the matter,” it added.