Submit finding in sealed cover, Delhi HC to panel

New Delhi: The Delhi high court has directed the three-member committee constituted by North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to look into allegations of corruption against the commissioner and to submit its finding in a sealed cover before the court on next hearing.

The court order came on plea filed that the committee be restrained from holding any proceeding or submitting any report as it was formed in an “undue haste”.

 The high court bench comprising Justice Sangaita Dhingra Sehgal and C. Hari Shankar said, “We don’t deem it appropriate to pass interim orders in the terms prayed by the petitioner’s lawyer. Instead, while permitting the three-member committee constituted by the municipal corporation to look into the issue involved, we direct the civic body not the make the report of the said committee public, but to submit the same, in  a sealed cover, before this court on the next date of hearing.”

The court has listed the matter for hearing on July 11. It said this after a plea was filed in the court in which it was stated that there should be a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the matter.

Welcoming the high court’s decision, Delhi BJP unit’s general secretary and former North Delhi mayor Ravinder Gupta said that a proper investigation must be held in the allegation of corruption and whosoever found guilty must be punished.

“On the one hand the Corporation facing severe financial crunch and on other hand corrupt official causing loss to exchequer. A fair investigation must be done to punish such official,” Mr Gupta added.

Mayor Adesh Gupta formed a three-member committee under the chairmanship of additional commissioner (engineering) S.K. Bhandari to probe the allegations raised by Ms Jagdev in her complaint. Other members of the committee are addl. commissioner U.B. Tripathi and chief vigilance officer Deepak Purohit.