Home Ministry calls AAP govt-appointed CNG fitness scam probe panel 'legally invalid and void'

New Delhi: In a move which may ignite yet another confrontation with the AAP dispensation, the Home Ministry on Friday declared as “legally invalid and void” the Delhi Government-constituted Commission of Inquiry to probe into the alleged CNG fitness scam. [caption id=“attachment_2402832” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Reuters[/caption] According to a statement issued by the LG’s office, the Home Ministry has conveyed that the Government of NCT of Delhi is not the competent authority to set up a Commission of Inquiry to probe into the alleged scam in the CNG Fitness Certificate(s) in Transport Department. “The Home Ministry termed the Commission of Inquiry constituted by the GNCTD as legally invalid and void ab initio,” the Lt Governor’s office said. Delhi Government, however, said that it has not received any official communication in this regard and the matter is already in court. The Arvind Kejriwal government had on 11 August announced the appointment of Commission of Inquiry to be headed by a retired Delhi High Court judge to probe the multi-crore CNG fitness scam in which a number of officials of previous Sheila Dikshit government were under scanner. “It has been clarified that the GNCTD is not the competent authority to set up such an inquiry under various provisions of the Constitution and the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. The notification issued by the GNCTD has therefore been declared legally invalid and void ab initio,” the statement said. A senior official from the LG’s office said that it is further clarified that on the orders of the Lt. Governor, Anti Corruption Branch of Delhi Government is looking into the entire matter afresh. “Notices have been issued by the ACB to all concerned, including government officers named in the original complaint. The ACB has been asked to complete the investigation on priority,” the statement added. Reacting to MHA’s move, a senior government official said, “Delhi government has not received any official communication in the regard. Besides, the matter is already in the court.” The Aam Aadmi Party has been accusing Lt Governor Najeeb Jung of trying to shield the officers found guilty by a CBI probe into the scam which was detected by Delhi Government’s Anti-Corruption Branch in 2012. “The inquiry commission will look into all investigations and developments that have taken place so far in this case, including wrongful denials of sanctions to prosecute guilty officials and dereliction of duty in taking action against those involved in the scam,” Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain had said after the appointment of the commission. PTI