Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) A special court here Tuesday granted more time to the anti-corruption branch to file a status report on a corruption complaint against Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and others.

Hearing a private complaint filed by advocate and right to information (RTI) activist Vivek Garg, Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal granted more time to the anti-corruption branch to file its report.

The branch sought more time from the court, which decided to hear the matter Oct 4.

In his complaint, Garg alleged that Dikshit along with then transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely and then transport commissioner R.K. Verma favoured a private company, ESP India, in a contract, causing losses to the public exchequer.

Garg told the court that the accused bifurcated the process of issuing fitness certificates to commercial vehicles and awarded the contract for issuing the certificates to the private company. Earlier, it was the transport department alone that issued the certificates.

“Due to corrupt and malafide intentions of the said ministers (Dikshit and Lovely), officer (Verma) and company (ESP India), no tender bid was called and the contract was given in contravention of the law,” Garg said in his complaint.

Garg requested the court to initiate proceedings against the accused under penal provisions for cheating, criminal conspiracy and various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.