Fumed over delay in sanction for prosecution in corruption cases probed by the vigilance department, the Himachal Pradesh High Court summoned officials from several departments on December 14 with details on pending matters.
The division bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Rajiv Sharma directed the additional chief secretary (cooperative) and principal secretaries of personnel, vigilance, irrigation and public health, revenue, public works, rural development and panchayati raj departments to appear before it. Court also issued show-cause notices to these officers as to why action for contempt of court not be initiated against them for not having completed the process of prosecution sanction in cases in which Vigilance had completed the investigation and cases were pending only for want of prosecution sanction.
Court also directed to furnish details of corruption cases where the prosecution sanction was pending.
The Bench passed the order on an affidavit filed by the Inspector-General of Police (Vigilance) in which he informed the court that 20 cases wherein the investigation had been concluded were pending for want of prosecution sanction.
