Jaipur: A single-judge bench of the Rajasthan High Court Thursday directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to probe allegations against Jaipur Discom’s chairperson Aarti Dogra. The court’s ruling follows accusations that Dogra failed to reach a decision regarding a concluded departmental inquiry for several months, raising suspicions of potential corruption.Justice Ravi Chirania issued the order while considering a petition filed by Discom’s executive engineer RK Meena, who highlighted issues with the process of a departmental promotion committee (DPC) that took place in Dec 2023. Meena’s petition contends that promotions were conducted without adhering to a mandatory roster register, a violation of directives from the Supreme Court and official circulars from the department of personnel (DoP). This oversight allegedly prevented Meena from being promoted from executive engineer to superintending engineer.During the proceedings, Meena’s counsel, Ajatshatru Meena and Movil Jeenwal, raised concerns about what they termed a “deliberate attempt to deny promotion,” particularly noting that three chargesheets were issued to the petitioner shortly after the filing of the petition — only 20 days before the DPC. The court observed that these chargesheets appeared to be a tactical move to obstruct Meena’s career advancement.Despite the completion of the disciplinary inquiry, where the inquiry officer cleared Meena of wrongdoing, Dogra allegedly failed to issue a final order for several months. This delay effectively hindered Meena’s eligibility for consideration in the subsequent DPC. Such inaction, as noted by the court, suggests a potential misconduct on the part of the CMD, further warranting investigation by the ACB.Previously, the court instructed Dogra to provide a detailed affidavit confirming the maintenance of a roster register. However, rather than submitting the actual register, her office provided only a tabulated summary, which the court found insufficient. During the hearing Thursday, it became evident that Dogra still had not provided comprehensive information regarding the roster maintenance protocols.The ACB has been tasked with reporting back to the court within three months, as the investigation delves into the process and actions taken by the Jaipur Discom chairperson amid rising concerns of integrity in promoting transparency within the department. The court would continue hearing the matter Friday.
