The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the city Commissioner of Police Y.S. Dadwal to conduct an independent probe into the scam of ‘ghost’ employees in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
A division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Madan B. Lokur directed the police commissioner to hold a detailed inquiry into allegations that the civic agency has on its rolls certain employees that do not exist.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by voluntary organisation Jagrook Welfare Society through counsel C.S. Parashar, seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry or an independent agency’s probe into the scam.
After a media report in November last year, the MCD revealed that there were 22,853 gardeners and sweepers as ‘ghost employees’ on its payrolls and admitted it was an administrative lapse that cost the civic body Rs.17 crore every month.
The court slammed the MCD May 12 for ‘concealing facts’ in its affidavit on money paid to ‘ghost employees’.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Mukta Gupta had said: ‘This affidavit conceals everything and reveals nothing. It does not disclose facts. This is a very nicely drafted affidavit concealing the facts by the agency.’
The high court has now directed the police to submit the investigation report on the same within two months and slated the matter for further hearing on Aug 25.
