HC junks plea for CVC probe into ex-CMD of HPCL

The Delhi High Court today refused to order a Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) probe against S Roy Choudhury, former CMD of State-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), for his alleged sale of jet fuel worth crores of rupees on credit to Vijay Mallya-run Kingfisher Airlines in 2009.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw, while disposing of the PIL filed by one Ashok Singh, said the CVC had completed its investigation and closed the case on September 19, 2012.
"The writ petition was filed in or about March, 2012 only for a direction to the respondent CVC to proceed/resume the investigation in the matter..., which the petitioner (Singh) then alleged, was stagnating and delayed.

"The CVC has thereafter reported having completed the investigation and closed the case September 19, 2012. The relief claimed in the petition thus has become infructuous," the bench said.
It further said "even the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has reported having investigated the matter and taken the requisite action.
"The petitioner has neither filed any rejoinder to the affidavits of CVC and MoPNG nor raised any objections to the conclusion reached by them and action taken in pursuance thereto," it added.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by Singh seeking a probe against Choudhury, the then CMD Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), the Director (Marketing) and its official for giving credit worths crores of rupees in 2009 to Kingfisher Airlines in "gross violation" of the rules and conduct of business.

The court noted "the counsel for the petitioner, during the hearing also, except for generally making allegations against HPCL CMD, could not show as to what survives in the petition".
"In view of the above, we do not deem it necessary to return any findings on the said aspect, though it may be observed that the said contention does not appear to be without merit," the court also noted.