In a major setback to the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government, the High Court on Monday refused to entertain its plea seeking to restrain Joint Commissioner of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena from entering the Anti-Corruption Branch office.
The Court also refused to implead Mr. Meena in the petition that the Delhi government had filed against the Central government’s notification giving the Lieutenant Governor absolute power to appoint bureaucrats in the Capital.
The Court of Justice V. P. Vaish also declined the Delhi government’s application asking that Mr. Meena be prevented from recording new first information reports and removing the FIR book from the ACB headquarters. The Court also declined to pass an order removing the CRPF personnel posted there.
Instead, the Court directed Mr. Meena to act in “accordance with the law” and directed the Centre to post its response within two weeks. The next date of hearing is August 11.
The L-G had appointed Mr. Meena as ACB chief earlier this month, whereas Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had appointed S.S Yadav. Since then, the ACB has, in effect, had two chiefs. Mr. Yadav had recently alleged that he felt under threat and pressure from Mr. Meena.
Among his complaints, which include Mr. Meena demanding an FIR book from him and illegally occupying office space, Mr. Yadav had also complained that Mr. Meena was keeping CRPF personnel in an unauthorised and illegal manner.
He said he was under serious threat and had also raised these issues with the L-G and the police, adding that he feared Mr. Meena might forcibly unlock his and other offices to occupy them and evict him.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had on Friday alleged that Mr. Meena was embroiled in a hawala racket.
In May, the Aam Aadmi Party had received a shot in the arm when the court had observed that the Centre’s notification barring the ACB from acting against Union government employees was “suspect”. It had also said that the Centre could not exercise executive power over matters falling under the legislative competence of the Delhi government. In a more significant step, it had also ruled that the Anti-Corruption Branch has the jurisdiction to arrest police personnel.
The Centre had challenged the High Court’s observations in the Supreme Court, which had said the High Court must not be influenced by observations while deciding the case.
The court also refused to implead Meena in the plea the Delhi government had filed against the Union government’s notification, giving the L-G absolute power to appoint bureaucrats in
the Capital
