May 4, 2019:
The Delhi government was defrauded of Rs 1 crore allegedly by a corporation official, who returned the money and was suspended. But a Delhi court took a serious note of the involvement of others and directed the police to lodge an FIR.
Metropolitan magistrate Shefali Barnala Tandon said one couldn’t settle with the department by returning the money after committing the offence. She said, “Suspension from service and initiation of vigilance inquiry is a separate matter, unconnected with the offence.”
The court also noted that the complaint was not only against the cashier but also senior officials. Municipal councillor Guddi Devi Jatav moved a complaint through advocate Prashant Manchanda, alleging that money collected through fines was embezzled by civic officials as part of a conspiracy. The complainant claimed that income of about Rs 1 crore from penalties such as towing of`cars, licensing fees, fine on street hawkers and money collected through other sources were misappropriated.
The complainant claimed north corporation officials named in the complaint didn’t deposit the money with the government and so an FIR needed to be lodged. “There are serious allegations of embezzlement of government funds by the corporation officials,” judge Tandon observed while expressing shock that the police took no action due to the suspension of the accused. “Let the FIR be filed ... three days from today and a compliance report be filed by the SHO concerned on May 6,” the court said.
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