New Delhi/Patna: The Delhi government's move to fill up posts in its Anti-Corruption Branch by roping in officers from Bihar Police has hit another roadblock with one of the six officers expressing his inability to shift to Delhi.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sanjay Bharti, the senior-most of the six officers, has said that he will not be able to take up the new assignment immediately due to medical reasons.
A leading daily quoted Arwal Superintendent of Police MS Dhillon as saying that they have not relieved Bharti as yet as he has requested stay on his transfer on medical grounds. Bharti, a 2000-batch Bihar police service official, is currently posted as DSP in Arwal.
Dhillon refused to divulge the medical reasons due to which Bharti has expressed his inability to shift to Delhi.
The daily quoted sources as saying that Bharti had initially showed his inclination to join the Delhi ACB.
According to Bihar DGP PK Thakur, six police officers were shortlisted for the Delhi ACB job after they had shown their willingness, and were subsequently relieved for joining on April 6. Some of them have already joined the ACB, Thakur added.
Of the five Bihar officers who have already joined the ACB, three are inspectors while two are sub-inspectors.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's move to hire officers from Bihar Police has already led to a controversy, with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung saying only he has the power to make such appointments.
“The ACB Delhi being a police station functions under authority, control and supervision of the LG, a position clarified by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA),” a statement from the LG's office said yesterday.
“The office of Lt Governor has so far not received any proposal for the deputation of such personnel from outside Delhi Police. The matter will be duly examined as and when the LG receives formal proposal from the Vigilance Department of Delhi government,” the statement added.
Reacting to the LG office's statement, the Delhi government stated that the High Court has already settled the issue of jurisdiction of ACB and that there is no confusion.
“Law is absolutely clear on ACB and has been upheld by the High Court,” the government said further.
“Delhi government and ACB have complete power to appoint police officers from anywhere across the country,” said Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who also met LG Jung during the day yesterday.
The Centre, meanwhile, took pot shots at the Kejriwal government.
“Let me give an uncalled for friendly advice to Kejriwal ji - governance is serious business, please keep it in mind,” said Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
A turf war has been going on in the capital over the powers of the LG and CM, with the Centre siding with the former and even issuing a gazette notification to clarify the powers of the Lt Governor.
As per the notification, only the LG has powers to deal with the matters of services, law, public order and land, and that he is not bound to consult the Delhi chief minister on these subjects.
A war has also been going on over the jurisdiction of the ACB and the matter is currently in the Supreme Court.
Delhi Police and ACB have recently come face-to-face after some of the former's men were arrested by the anti-graft unit for allegedly accepting bribe.
The move to induct policemen from Bihar also seems to be aimed at reducing ACB's reliance on Delhi Police as till now all its officers were derived from them.
The ACB, which is probing a number of high-profile case, was barred from registering any case against officers and political functionaries of the Central government which includes the Delhi Police which works under MHA.
However, the Delhi High Court held that the ACB of Government of NCT has the jurisdiction to arrest policemen while dismissing the bail application of a head constable who was arrested by ACB in a corruption case.
