Delhi HC asks Assembly panel not to insist on CS appearance

New Delhi: Chief secretary Anshu Prakash got a breather on Thursday with the Delhi high court directing the Assembly committee not to insist on his appearance before it, saying that the panel’s move to issue a notice to the top bureaucrat seemed to be an attempt to circumvent the process of law. Justice Rajiv Shakdher questioned the move of the Delhi Legislative Assembly’s Question and Reference (Q&R) Committee to issue a notice to the chief secretary despite making a statement before the court on March 5 that it will not proceed in the matter concerning the bureaucrat till further orders.

The court said the committee’s move to issue notice seemed to be an attempt to circumvent the process of law. The chief secretary had on Wednesday moved the high court after he was served a notice by the Q&R Committee asking him to appear before it to examine issues relating to Delhi Nagrik Sahkari Bank Ltd.

“After giving a statement on March 5, the complainant (Q&R Committee) immediately issued notice to the chief secretary, asking him to appear before it on Thursday. What was the urgency of issuing the notice. Ask your client (committee) not to do this. Tell your client that it seems as if you are trying to circumvent the process of law. Wait for the outcome of the main petition pending in the high court,” Justice Shakdher told the counsel for the committee.

The court suggested to the committee to withdraw the March 6 notice, in which it had asked the chief secretary to appear before it on Thursday.

“As far as the chief secretary is concerned, you withdraw this notice and do whatever has to be done,” it said.

To this, advocate Manish Vashisht, appearing for the Assembly committee, said the panel cannot withdraw the notice as it has been issued against two other officers also.

Judicial custody of 2 AAP MLAs extended for 14 days
A city court on Thur-sday extended by 14 days the judicial custody of AAP MLAs Amanatull-ah Khan and Prakash Jarwal, arrested for alleged assault on chief secretary Anshu Prakash. Metropolitan magistrate Shefali Barnala Tandon sent the MLAs, who were produced before the court on expiry of their judicial remand, to Mandoli jail here till March 22.

According to court sources, the matter would next be heard in a Patiala House courts, following the Delhi high court order designating two “special courts” in the Patiala House courts complex to deal with criminal cases against elected members of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies.

Mr Khan and Mr Jar-wal were on February 22 sent to 14 days judicial custody by the court.