Reliance Industries moves Delhi HC for quashing of FIR

Reliance Industries Friday moved the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of an FIR registered by the erstwhile Arvind Kejriwal government, contending that Delhi has "no jurisdiction" in the matter as gas pricing falls under the Centre.

In February, the Delhi government's Anti-Corruption Bureau filed cases against Mukesh Ambani and Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily for allegedly creating artificial scarcity of natural gas and for fixing prices.

Approaching the court, Reliance Industries said the FIR should be quashed as it relates to the guidelines for the pricing of domestic gas, which is clearly "beyond jurisdiction" and "beyond authority" of the Delhi government.

Justice Manmohan posted the matter for May 20.

The plea said the exercise of filing the FIR was "politically motivated and malicious" as before and during the campaign for the Delhi assembly election, the Aam Aadmi Party led by Kejriwal had made false and frivolous allegations against the company.

"The FIR, entirely, deals with the matters of contracts entered by the central government, economic policies of the central government in relation to the contracts and the decision taken by the central government/union cabinet on the basis of the recommendations given by a validly constituted expert committee.

"As such, for this reason, the state government has no authority to entertain any such complaint and enquiry into the economic policy decision taken by the central government," the plea said.