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Lt-Governor Najeeb Jung on Friday issued a five-page order emphasising that the Delhi government has no jurisdiction over the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB). This comes three days after the Directorate of Vigilance annulled three orders issued by Joint Commissioner of Police M K Meena, recently appointed as head of the ACB, and asked him to refrain from passing such orders in the future.
In the order dated June 30, Director of Vigilance Sukesh Kumar Jain had stated that “any work order can be passed only after obtaining the approval of the head of department, that is, director of vigilance”. Sources said Jung, in his order, questioned the stand taken by Jain.
“According to Jung’s order, the communication issued on June 30 by the Director of Vigilance is of no consequence. His (Jain’s) communication would have no impact or bearing on the functioning of Meena,” the source said.
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Jung’s order also gave full authority to Meena, sources said. Jung also stated that Meena’s orders could not be challenged since “they are under legal and valid authority”, sources said.
A senior ACB officer had said that Meena had issued three orders on June 29. “In his first order, Meena had appointed Inspector K K Mishra as his Section Officer (SO). In his second order, he asked the SO branch of ACB, which comes under Additional Commissioner of Police S S Yadav, to send all documents to him directly,” the officer said. In his third order, he appointed another inspector, Brijmohan, as the new SHO of ACB, the officer said.
Jung’s communication, sent to the chief secretary, also questioned the “stand of the Director of Vigilance as an ex-officio chief of the ACB”, sources said. “The letter states that since the ACB now has the joint commissioner as chief, the orders issued by the Director of Vigilance would not apply to it,” a source said.
Meena orders his first probe
The Anti-Corruption Branch on Friday registered its first case after JCP M K Meena joined it. Meena issued the orders against an inspector posted with the registrar of group housing societies for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000.