Chandigarh dentist asks SC to order probe against NCB chief Rakesh Asthana

New Delhi, May 16

The Supreme Court would hear after four weeks a plea by a dentist who has challenged the Delhi High Court order dismissing his petition seeking directions to the Centre, Central Vigilance Commission and CBI to probe and launch prosecution on his complaint against Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) chief Rakesh Asthana.

The plea against the high court’s order came up for hearing on May 13 before a bench of Justices UU Lalit and BR Gavai.

“At the request of the counsel for the petitioner, the matter is adjourned for four weeks,” the bench said in its May 13 order.

The high court had on February 15 dismissed the plea filed by Chandigarh resident Dr Mohit Dhawan, who had sought directions to the Centre, CVC and CBI to investigate and launch criminal prosecution on his complaint against Asthana.

The high court had rejected the plea with a cost of Rs 20,000 to be paid by the petitioner in favour of the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee.

In his plea filed in the apex court, Dhawan has claimed that the high court had erred in not appreciating that CVC has failed in “dispensing its constitutional duty” cast upon it by its “disappointing act of total inaction by just sitting over” the criminal complaint submitted by him against the senior IPS officer under the provision of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The plea alleged that the high court had not appreciated that both the CVC and CBI have failed to adjudicate upon the criminal complaints filed by the petitioner.

The dentist had earlier moved the apex court seeking directions to investigate and launch criminal prosecution against Asthana, who also heads the BSF, on the basis of his allegations.

However, he had on February 8 withdrawn the plea from the apex court and said that he would approach the high court to pursue the remedy. — PTI