Do not take coercive action against Reliance Industries Limited: Delhi High Court

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court told the anti-graft wing of the state government that they cant take “coercive steps” against petroleum minister M. Veerappa Moily and Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, among others, over the gas pricing matter. A notice was issued to the anti-corruption wing of the Delhi government to file its response within a week by a bench of Justice Manmohan.

The court has said that during this period, the Delhi Government can carry on with the investigations but no coercive steps should be taken. The matter will now be heard on May 20. On Thursday, the union government had moved the court requesting a restraining order on the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government from probing Reliance gas price fixation decision.

The anti-graft branch has no jurisdiction to investigate the subject as the constitution has given no such powers to the state government, said the Union government’s solicitor general Mohan Parasaran. The petition has also asked that the charges filed with the police to be quashed. The court also questioned the authority of ACB to register a FIR on the issue “Can a sub-inspector understand the complex issue of gas pricing? Some senior officer can investigate it,” the court said. Arvind Kejriwal had ordered the probe against Mr Moily, Mr Ambani, Murli Deora and former oil regulator V.K. Sibal as co-conspirator.