New Delhi: In a U-turn, Delhi Government’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has refused to probe a complaint of “misuse” of official position by a Union Minister as it was beyond its jurisdiction.
Incidentally, the ACB had last week registered an FIR against Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily, RIL Chief Mukesh Ambani, former Union Minister Murli Deora and retired Director General of Hydrocarbons V K Sibal among others on Reliance gas pricing issue.
Delhi-based RTI activist Vivek Garg has filed a complaint with ACB seeking registration of an FIR against Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and others for allegedly abusing official positions for getting wrongful gains with malafide intention.
The complaint was forwarded to the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV) under Delhi Government for necessary action, the ACB said in reply to Garg’s RTI query seeking status of his complaint against Shinde.
A note prepared by the ACB regarding movement of Garg’s RTI application disclosed that the complaint was forwarded to the DoV as it was “beyond” its jurisdiction.
“In this regard it is stated that the above matter/complaint (allegations against Shinde) has already been transferred to DoV for sending it to appropriate authority, as the same is beyond our jurisdiction,” said the note, which was also received by Garg in response to his RTI query.
Garg had approached ACB seeking action on claims made by former Home Secretary R K Singh against Shinde. Singh, who worked as Home Secretary under Shinde, had claimed that certain “slips” used to be sent to Delhi Police Commissioner for transferring of SHOs from Home Minister’s Office.
—PTI

KR Desk