CAT no to stay on inquiry against Haryana IPS officer in heist case

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Chandigarh, July 28

The Chandigarh Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has refused to stay a departmental inquiry against suspended IPS officer Dheeraj Setia in an alleged heist case. Setia has challenged the chargesheet Issued by the Haryana Government dated March 17, 2022, whereby the departmental inquiry proceedings have been initiated against him.

Setia had sought directions of the Tribunal to stay the proceedings in the case till the outcome of the trial in the case. Counsel for Setia argued that the departmental inquiry proceedings should not be allowed to continue simultaneously with the criminal proceedings arising out of an FIR registered in case.

Setia was booked in a case involving a multi-crore alleged heist reported by an employee of Alpha G Corp Management Services Private Ltd at its office in Gurgaon One society, Sector 84, on August 21, 2021.

On the other hand, counsel for the respondents submitted that the criminal proceedings against the applicant were initiated for an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and the departmental proceedings have been initiated for his misconduct in discharging of official duties.

The charges levelled against the applicant in the chargesheet are not the same as have been levelled against him in criminal proceedings and the applicant has not been discharged in the criminal proceedings. After hearing the arguments, the Bench said it was settled proposition of law that the departmental proceedings and the criminal case could proceed simultaneously as there was no bar on the matter.

Incident dates back to 2021

Suspended IPS officer Dheeraj Setia was booked in a case of an alleged heist reported by an employee of a firm at its office in a Gurugram society on August 21, 2021