To plug leaks on Vigilance Bureau raids, Haryana forms panels of 5 'witness' officers

Tribune News Service

Geetanjali Gayatri

Chandigarh, September 21

With two or three Vigilance raids failing every month due to “leakage” of information, the Haryana Government has decided to plug it by making a panel of five gazetted officers available to the state Vigilance Bureau in every district to be a witness in the trap cases.

A letter to this effect has been issued by the office of the Chief Secretary and Deputy Commissioners have been asked to submit their panels by Thursday.

The letter states that “for the purpose of appointing independent witness for vigilance raids, every DC will create a panel of five suitable gazetted officers from different departments from which the SP, Vigilance, may select anyone as an independent witness for the raid”.

The letter adds that this panel will be revised every three months by the DC.

This will allow the SP, Vigilance, to contact a gazetted officer directly rather than routing his requirement through the Deputy Commissioner, ensuring that the information of a raid is not leaked prior to it being carried out.

Sources said that earlier, the Vigilance Bureau was required to approach the Deputy Commissioner to appoint a gazetted officer for a raid. “We faced several issues in doing so. At times, the DC was busy holding meetings which delayed the raids. On other occasions, they would even ask their subordinate officers to depute a gazetted officer to be a witness which hit the secrecy of the operation. Some of them would insist on knowing whom the Vigilance was raiding without having that authority. This, too, would compromise the raid,” an officer explained.

However, with each district being directed to hand over a panel of five officers to the Vigilance Bureau, the SPs can proceed independently.

Sources said that CM Manohar Lal Khattar was apprised of the difficulties being faced by the VB in executing these raids. He was keen on the secrecy aspect of the raids to ensure the guilty could be brought to book.

“He had directed the officers to ensure availability of a panel in each district. It took nearly three months for the decision to be implemented,” sources said. However, discontentment over this decision seems to be brewing among the DCs who are feeling “left out” and see it as curtailing of their powers.

Tackling problems

• Earlier, the VB needed to approach the DC to appoint a gazetted officer for a raid
• At times, the DC was busy holding meetings which delayed the raid
• Sometimes, the DC would ask subordinates to depute a gazetted officer, hitting the operation’s secrecy
• Some insisted on knowing whom VB was raiding without having that authority, compromising the raid

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