Okhla MLA beutifying graveyard, ignoring basic facilities, HC told

The Delhi High Court will Wednesday hear a petition filed against Okhla legislator Asif Muhammad Khan for misusing public funds on beatification of a graveyard instead of providing basic facilities in his area.

The plea filed by Kamran Siddiqui also asked the court to extend the tenure of Lokayukta chairperson Justice Manmohan Sarin. The post has been lying vacant since June last year when his tenure ended.

The petitioner alleged that the legislator was facing 17 criminal cases, most of which were of assault on government officials and encroaching upon land belonging to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw would hear the plea Wednesday.

Approaching the court through advocate Kamran Malik, Siddiqui sought directions to the central and Delhi governments to restrain the legislator from misusing public funds.

The plea also sought a court-monitored investigation by a special team or by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the misuse of public funds as well as abuse and misuse of power of public functionaries and contractors.

The plea sought extension of the tenure of Justice Sarin of the Delhi Lokayukta whose term ended June 5, 2013, till the formation of a new government in the capital, as the Lokayukta had started inquiries and these were in their last stages when his tenure ended.

The petition said the legislator was misusing public funds - the Member of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development (MLA-LAD) fund - for the beautification of a graveyard in Batla House area.

"The boundary walls of the graveyard are in fine condition. In spite of that, Rs.2.8 crore was being used for demolishing the boundary wall and in rebuilding it," the plea alleged.

The legislator has spent funds on beautification of the graveyard when sewer lines and roads in the area were in a deteriorated condition, it said.

Waterlogging in the rainy season was a common problem in the area, which has no dispensary, and in the absence of public toilets, people urinate on roads, the petition said.

The infrastructure of primary schools in Okhla was very poor and the surroundings of every government school were dirty. The areas near schools were also encroached, it added.

"There is no playground for children, water supply is not available everywhere in Okhla," the petitioner alleged.

"Beautification of the graveyard is not required when the area is backward in other respects," he said.