AAP govt moves Delhi HC against ACB chief Meena

AAP government today moved Delhi High Court seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against ACB chief M K Meena for allegedly violating the court's order by removing an SHO of the anti-graft body.
The AAP government's move came almost a month after the high court declined the city government's plea to restrain joint commissioner of police Meena from working as the Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) chief.
On the same evening, Meena created a stir by issuing an order shunting out inspector Vinay Malik as SHO ACB, appointed by the city government, and posting inspector Brij Mohan in his place.
The Delhi government petition is likely to be heard by the high court tomorrow.

Delhi government in its contempt plea said it was constrained to file the contempt petition as Meena had "willfully violated" the court's June 29, 2015, order, which had asked Lt Governor-appointee ACB chief to act in "accordance with the law".
The Aam Aadmi Party government also sought contempt proceedings against Mohan, saying he was acting under "direct instruction and orders of Meena".

"Summon the respondents (Meena and Mohan) and punish them for having committed contempt of court under the provision of the Contempt of Court Act," the contempt petition filed by Delhi government's standing counsel Raman Duggal said.
The plea said Meena "ensured" that no FIR was registered on the complaints forwarded to the ACB between June 8 and 17. It also accused him of addressing the media "without having the authority to do so".

The petition said Meena had purportedly scrapped the anti-corruption helpline number established with the approval of Council of Ministers of the Delhi government and "posted personnels in the ACB despite not having authority to do so."
It further alleged that the ACB chief had "prevented the receipt of the complaint sought to be submitted by SDM and the registration of an FIR thereupon, by orchestrating the removal of the FIR book and the 'Roznamcha' from the precincts of the ACB which is a police station under...CrPC and is wholly illegal Act".
"Therefore, Meena is guilty of acting in brazen disregard and violation of the direction passed by this court. It is submitted that both the respondents have acted in willful and deliberate defiance and disregard of the of the judgement of the Supreme Court...And the order passed by this court on June 29, 2015, whereby Meena was required to function in accordance with law," the petition said.

The interim order was passed on the Delhi government's plea for quashing the May 21 order of the Centre barring the anti-corruption branch from proceeding against any staff under Centre's control.