NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Tuesday reserved its verdict on the city government’s challenge to a single judge bench order of no coercive action against six Public Works Department officials who were issued show cause notices over “gross violation” of rules in the renovation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence.
The appeal filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Special Secretary (Vigilance) Y.V.V.J. Rajasekhar sought setting aside of a September 15 interim order of a single judge of the HC which said no coercive steps shall be taken by any authority against the petitioner PWD officials till October 12.
The single judge passed the interim order after taking serious exception to the city authorities' failing to exercise restraint and taking contravening steps despite an undertaking given by its counsel that no coercive steps would be taken against officials.
Earlier, senior advocate Rahul Mehra and Delhi government standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi gave an undertaking to the single judge that no coercive action would be initiated against the petitioner officials.
The directorate of vigilance, in its appeal filed through advocates Yoginder Handoo and Mananjay Mishra, contended the order was passed without appreciating the fact that the alleged assurances were without any authority.
Senior advocate Kirti Uppal, representing the appellants, apprised the division bench of an office memorandum of the Delhi government’s Department of law and Justice according to which all standing counsel(s)/additional counsel(s) and empanelled counsel(s) to ensure that written and verbal submissions made by them shall have to be strictly in consonance with the written instructions given to them with the approval of the administrative secretary of concerned Department.
