Delhi High Court reserves order on plea against Centre's step on Lokayukta report

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court today reserved its order on a plea alleging that the Centre had diluted a Lokayukta report, which had suggested issuance of "caution" to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, by asking the government officials to be "more careful" in future instead of the Chief Minister.

The Lokayukta report had recommended to the President issuance of "caution" to Dikshit for allegedly misrepresenting facts about the completion of 60,000 low-cost flats ahead of the 2008 assembly polls.

A division bench of Justice B D Ahmed and Justice Vibhu Bakhru reserved the verdict after the counsel for the parties concluded their arguments on a plea filed by advocate Sunita Bhardwaj contending the Home Ministry, instead of "cautioning" Dikshit, had "diluted" the report of the Lokayukta and asked the city government officials to be more careful in future.

Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Rajevee Mehra said the Home Ministry had issued the order to the officials after the President in an order said "no malafides are attributable to the statement of the Chief Minister."

The senior law officer further argued the order of the President cannot be challenged in the court of law.

Delhi government counsel Zubeda Begum also appraised the court that a special report based on Lokayukta recommendations was placed before the legislative assembly of Delhi.

Earlier, the court had asked the Delhi government to file its reply on whether the Lokayukta's report was tabled in assembly in accordance with law.

The petitioner in the plea sought setting aside of the order of the section of the Home Ministry which deals with Lokayukta's reports.