CHANDIGARH, Aug 3: The Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed further proceedings of the Inquiring Authority, headed by Justice K.S. Tiwana (retd), looking into the conduct of former Punjab chief secretary V.K. Khanna for his controversial references of two cases against State bureaucrats to the CBI.Accepting Khanna's plea for staying these proceedings, a division bench comprising Justice V.K. Jhanji and Justice N.C. Khichi also impleaded the Central Bureau of Investigation as a party in the case. Observing that "we deem it necessary to implead the CBI in the case", the bench issued a notice to the CBI for September 15, the adjourned date in the case.
The bench was hearing the case filed by Khanna, challenging the chargesheet served on him by the Punjab government for having referred two cases against bureaucrats to the CBI.
The bench also directed the CBI to place on record before the court the status of the report of investigations with respect to FIRs registered by it against senior bureaucrats of the State, which were earlier referred by Khanna as chief secretary.
The court directed the CBI to also explain the reasons for the delay in finalising the investigations into the FIRs against the bureaucrats, who included Bikramjit Singh, I.S. Bindra and R.S. Mann, besides others.
Khanna, in his petition, had contended that he had genuine apprehension that the Inquiring Authority was keen to decide on the inquiry proceedings at the earliest, even before the High Court adjudicated the very sustainability of the chargesheet served on him.
Khanna alleged that the Inquiring Authority was also not accepting any of his requests and that it was carrying out the proceedings in a way which was not acceptable to him.
Listing out his requests made from time to time which were rejected by the Inquiring Authority, Khanna said he was not allowed to engage a private lawyer and was also not allowed to take his private secretary in the inquiry to take down brief notes of the proceedings, besides not allowing him to inspect certain documents/files relating to the case.
He said his plea to hold open and not in-camera proceedings of the inquiry was also turned down, even as he was not allowed to avail the assistance of Harinder Singh, joint secretary, Department of Personnel, despite a written request.
Khanna alleged, in his petition, that the Authority also declined to address the Secretary, Department of Personnel, Government of India, to allow Harinder Singh to visit Chandigarh for the purpose, after rejecting his written request even though it was stated by him that Singh's services were not required at every date.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
