Centre, Delhi told not to take 'coercive steps' in CNG fitness scam case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the centre and Delhi governments to not take any "coercive steps" against the officers of each other relating to probe into the CNG fitness scam.

"We made it clear that neither the Delhi government nor the Union of India shall take any coercive steps pursuant to the September 17, 2015 and August 11, 2015 notification issued by both of them," a division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said while saying it would begin daily hearings on the matter from Thursday.

The Delhi government on August 11 had constituted commission of inquiry headed by a retired high court judge to probe the multi-crore-rupee CNG vehicle fitness scam. A number of officials of the previous Sheila Dikshit government were under the scanner for it.

Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung on September 17 directed all officers not to follow Aam Aadmi Party government orders which were declared "null and void" by the union government, otherwise they would face strict action for non-compliance of the order.A

The Delhi government sought a stay on Jung's September 17 notification and the central government sought direction to stay the Delhi government's August 11 notification setting up a commission of inquiry without the lt. governor's nod.

The bench made it clear that both the governments will not to act against each other till the pendency of case.

During the hearing, the Delhi government alleged that commission called for some records which the central government denied.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for central government, told the court that a criminal trial court is seized of the matter, the charge sheet in the case has already been filed and entire documents of the case are filed before the court, so there was no need of a commission of inquiry.