Delhi police yet to get sanction to chargesheet IAS officer

"We have not received the requisite sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act to prosecute the officer," Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan told Special Judge Sangeeta Dhingra Sehgal. The prosecutor, however, said the Delhi Police's Special Cell that investigated the case against Singh and Kolkata-based businessman Vineet Kumar, are hopeful of getting the nod to file chargesheet by January 22.

Mohan made this submission while requesting the court to extend the judicial custody of Singh and Kumar. The Judge asked the prosecutor as to when the investigating agency is going to file the chargesheet. "I believe the period of 60 days to file the chargesheet is going to end on January 22. By then, you have to file the chargesheet," the Judge said.

To this the prosecutor submitted the period would come to end on January 23 as Singh and Kumar were formally arrested on November 23. The Judge extended the judicial custody of both the accused till January 22.

The Delhi police are to file the chargesheet within 60 days of the arrest of the accused, otherwise, they would be entitled to get statutory bail from the court. Singh, the then Director Internal Security in the Ministry of Home Affairs, allegedly stayed at the accommodation and used the car provided by co-accused Kumar's company Temptation Foods Pvt Ltd since his deputation to New Delhi from Kolkata in January this year.

According to the police, Kumar obliged the officer as he wanted in return information about security clearance of a file relating to United Kingdom-based firm Telcordia Technologies Inc. The police registered a case against the duo under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The Delhi High Court is likely to take up the bail plea of Singh on January 27.