CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday questioned why IAS officers shall be given an opportunity of being heard before sanctions are accorded to prosecute the officials in criminal cases.
The query was raised by Justice N Anand Venkatesh, referring to an affidavit filed by former public secretary Rita Harish Thakkar.
The affidavit was about the delay in obtaining sanction for prosecuting two IAS officers in the alleged tender irregularities in Chennai and Coimbatore municipal corporations when AIADMK leader S P Velumani was the minister for the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department during 2014-18.
Hearing a contempt of court petition filed by Arappor Iyakkam (an anti-corruption people’s movement) seeking to punish the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) for not filing the charge sheet, the judge once again expressed displeasure over the long delay in obtaining sanction from the union government for prosecuting the officers, K S Kandasamy and Vijayakarthikeyan.
During the last hearing, he had directed Rita Harish Thakkar, who had recently retired from service, to explain as to why the delay was caused.
Subsequently, she filed the affidavit in the court on Monday.