Delhi HC tells vigilance to appoint officer to take action against nine Tihar jail officials

The court directed the officer concerned of the DOV to act on the request within two weeks and complete all necessary formalities for the inquiry, promptly after appointing the officer

New Delhi

The court fixed January 7 as the next date of hearing and directed the Delhi government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file their report indicating the progress of the inquiry. (Representative photo)

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Directorate of Vigilance (DOV) to appoint within two weeks an inquiry officer to initiate disciplinary proceedings against nine Tihar jail officials, suspended for their alleged role in an extortion racket run from inside the prison in collusion with inmates, and complete the same at the earliest possible time.

This was after the Delhi government’s additional chief secretary, home department, apprised a bench of chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela of an October 30 letter sent to the DOV, requesting the appointment of an inquiry officer. He further assured the bench that he would personally follow up with the DOV to ensure the officer’s prompt appointment and the completion of the inquiry at the earliest possible time.

Accordingly, the court directed the officer concerned of the DOV to act on the request within two weeks and complete all necessary formalities for the inquiry, promptly after appointing the officer.

“Additional Chief Secretary (Home) has assured that he would pursue the matter with the DOV and ensure that the inquiry officer is appointed at the earliest and the inquiry is conducted in the minimum possible time,” the court said in the order.

It added, “Having noticed the statement made before us by the additional chief secretary home, GNCTD, we direct that the concerned officer in the DOV shall immediately act upon the request made by the Home Department for appointing an inquiry officer to conduct common disciplinary proceedings, at the earliest, within a period of two weeks. Once the inquiry officer is appointed to conduct the proceedings, the requisite formalities such as constituting the chargesheet, its approval, initiation of disciplinary proceedings and its conclusion thereof shall also be undertaken within the shortest span of time.”

Accordingly, the court fixed January 7 as the next date of hearing and directed the Delhi government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file their report indicating the progress of the inquiry.

The court was considering a petition filed by Mohit Kumar Goyal, arrested in a cheating case and later released on bail, who sought an independent probe into an alleged extortion network inside Tihar.