New Delhi:The Delhi High Court has sought the response of AIIMS on a plea of its former chief vigilance officer (CVO) over charges of perjury against it in an ongoing legal battle between them. A bench of Justices C Hari Shankar and Ajay Digpaul issued notice to AIIMS on Sanjiv Chaturvedi's petition filed under Section 340 Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
"Issue notice.. Reply, if any, be filed within four weeks with advance copy to learned counsel for the petitioner who may file rejoinder thereto within four weeks thereof," said the bench in the order passed on February 24.
The petitioner said AIIMS made "false statements" in its counter affidavit filed on August 17, 2016, in response to his petition related to the "channel" for writing his annual performance appraisal report for financial year 2014-15. The petitioner was the chief vigilance officer at AIIMS between 2012 and 2014 and initiated action against corruption in the medical institution.
He was relieved from the post in August 2014 before the expiry of his term in 2016. "It is most humbly prayed to initiate appropriate criminal proceedings against the respondent (AIIMS) under Section 340 of CrPc read with Section 193 of IPC, for deliberately and willfully making false statements on oath before this Hon'ble Court," his plea said.
The petition also sought the imposition of an "exemplary fine" on the authorities for "deliberately and willfully making false statements" in court. Chaturvedi is an Indian Forest Services officer who was conferred with the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2015. The matter would be heard next in July.
