Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash. (File)
The Delhi High Court Tuesday objected to the Delhi Assembly Privileges Committee’s change in stand on the breach of privilege proceedings against Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash. Justice Vibhu Bakhru remarked that earlier, the committee had sought to invoke the jurisdiction of the court to get the order in July, compelling the Chief Secretary’s appearance before the panel.
“Now, the panel contends that the court has no jurisdiction to look into those proceedings,” the court observed. The court was hearing a fresh application by the panel, seeking recall of the court’s August 28 order, in which the panel was directed to produce before it the verbatim records and video recordings of the panel’s proceedings in which Prakash was questioned over certain issues.
Senior advocate K V Viswanathan, who represented the panel, submitted that filing of video recordings and providing verbatim records would violate the doctrine of separation of powers. To which, the court replied that the earlier order was passed only after the counsel had said the verbatim records would be provided to the official as soon as it was authorised by the Speaker, who is in London and expected to return on September 16.