HC frown on vigilance scan

Calcutta High Court on Monday slapped a Re 1 fine on the state vigilance commission for harassing an IPS officer by starting an inquiry against him on the basis of a fictitious complaint.
Justice S.P. Talukdar asked the commission to pay Re 1 to inspector-general (welfare) Nazrul Islam within four weeks. The court asked the government to realise the amount from the officer who started the inquiry on the basis of an anonymous letter.
“It is unfortunate that we are living in a society where a senior officer does not get the appreciation he deserves for his honesty, integrity and dynamism,” said Justice Talukdar in his judgment.
The court also observed that by initiating the inquiry against Islam in 2006, when he was deputy commissioner (enforcement branch), the commission and the state government had maligned him publicly.
The government had directed the commission to start an inquiry against Islam on the basis of the letter. Challenging the validity of the inquiry order, Islam had moved a petition stating that the vigilance commission did not have the authority to conduct a probe against an IPS officer.
The high court admitted the plea and directed the state chief secretary to ask the commission to conduct the probe in Islam’s presence. The court also ordered the chief secretary to be present at the time of Islam’s interrogation.
Since Islam was not called for deposition till January this year, he moved another petition in March, alleging that the chief secretary had not carried out the high court order.
State advocate-general Balai Ray informed Justice Talukdar in May this year that the chief secretary, in a notification dated March 7 this year, had withdrawn the inquiry.
Islam’s counsel sought an order from the court asking the commission to pay a token fine of Re 1 to their client as compensation.
Thursday , June 26 , 2008
OUR LEGAL REPORTER
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