'Delhi government has no powers to register FIR against RIL'

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) on Monday moved the Delhi High Court seeking to quash the FIR in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) Basin case, claiming that the Delhi government has no power in gas pricing case.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva was informed by the RIL that the FIR by Anti-Corruption Branch of the Delhi government against it for alleged irregularities in raising the price of gas from KG-6 basin was lodged without jurisdiction to probe such matter.

The court sought the Delhi government's response to RIL's plea by September 29.

The Delhi government was never entitled to lodge the FIR and it has to be quashed as it has been lodged by a police station (ACB) which does not have the jurisdiction, RIL told the court.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during his first stint had asked the ACB to lodge an FIR in the matter despite the fact that the anti-corruption agency did not have any jurisdiction to probe the matter, said the company.

It referring to August 4 judgement of the division bench of the high court which held that powers of the ACB were limited to probing graft cases in various departments which were under the administrative authority of the Lt. Governor and not extending to central government employees.

The RIL, erstwhile UPA ministers M. Veerappa Moily and Murli Deora (since deceased), RIL's Chairman Mukesh Ambani, former Director General of Hydro Carbons V.K. Sibal were named in the FIR lodged by the ACB in 2014. All of them denied the allegations.

The complaint, on the basis of which the FIR was lodged in 2014, alleged that impact of gas price rise would cost the country a minimum of Rs 54,500 crore per year.

--IANS

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