New Delhi: Locking horns with the ruling AAP, the Lt Governor Najeeb Jung-appointed Anti-Corruption Branch Chief MK Meena has asked seven inspectors to continue with the office who were repatriated by the vigilance department of Delhi government.
Meena has asked the seven inspectors to stay on with ACB saying that their transfer orders have not been signed by the Delhi Lt Governor.
The transfer order was signed by Deputy Secretary (Vigilance) Rajesh Tiwari on July 24, said a source.
The inspectors who have been repatriated to Delhi Police are Braj Mohan, Kumar Kant Mishra, Vivekanand Jha, Rajkumar, Rajendra Prasad, Ricchpal Singh Meena and Puran Chand.
At a recently-held meeting, Meena instructed the officers to remain at ACB as it was facing an acute staff crunch.
“The officers have still not been relieved and are working with the ACB,” Meena told PTI.
Meanwhile, a senior ACB official said that the seven inspectors were transferred to ACB in the first week of June on the request of former ACB chief SS Yadav, the head of the unit before Meena.
“These inspectors were called to ACB on the request made by Delhi government’s ACB chief SS Yadav and, now, the same government is asking them to go back.
“The anti-graft cell is getting continuous complaints, but the department is lying dysfunctional. Officers who were asked to return to Delhi Police are still working at ACB,” the senior official said.
The vigilance department had last month tried to clip Meena’s powers by asking him to only look after training work and monitoring of cases undergoing trial till the high court decided on the validity of his appointment.
The department has asked ACB’s Additional Commissioner, SS Yadav, who is backed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, to supervise the main work, including investigation.
According to the Kejriwal government, the director of the vigilance department of Delhi government is the head of ACB and is competent to allocate work among the officers of the anti-graft body.
PTI