ACB chief acting as per law: Centre tells High Court

The Central government on Tuesday told Delhi high court that Delhi’s ACB chief M K Meena has been “acting as per the law” and refuted the claim of the AAP government that he was not allowing anyone to work.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Singh told Justice V P Vaish that the plea filed by the Arvind Kejriwal government seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Meena is “no bona fide”.

“The petition filed by the Delhi government is no bona fide. Let us not go after the officer (Meena),” said Singh, adding: “He (Meena) is acting as per the law.”

During the hearing, senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Delhi government, alleged that Meena was “not working in accordance with law” and not allowing anyone else to work.

“Ask the officer to act per law,” Krishnan said. The Central government also sought time to file a response on the contempt plea and a petition challenging its notification on appointment of bureaucrats and the Anti-Corruption Branch’s powers. The court posted the matter for October 8. 

Meanwhile, Meena on Tuesday said he is mulling “legal recourse” against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the latter’s alleged derogatory remarks terming him as “corrupt”.

“I am taking consultation for taking action against the Chief Minister over his derogatory remarks for a possible legal recourse,” Meena said.

After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kejriwal today said, “I told him that the Anti-Corruption Bureau was working absolutely fine before June 8 and then a corrupt officer was sent as ACB chief.” 

On June 8, Joint Commissioner Meena, a 1989-batch Indian Police Service officer, took charge of ACB after he was appointed by LG Najeeb Jung, superseding Additional Commissioner <g data-gr-id="29">S S</g> Yadav.