Gas pricing: AAP govt not entitled to lodge FIR, RIL tells HC

New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)today sought quashing of an FIR against it on allegedirregularities in raising the price of gas from KG 6 basin,telling Delhi High Court that the AAP government was "neverentitled" to lodge an FIR against it. Seeking quashing of the FIR lodged against it by theAnti-Corruption Branch of Delhi government in 2014, thecompany told Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva that ACB did not havethe jurisdiction to probe such matter. "Delhi government was never entitled to lodge this FIR.This FIR has to be quashed as it has been lodged by a policestation (ACB) which does not have the jurisdiction," senioradvocate Harish Salve, appearing for RIL, told the court whichsought the response of AAP government on the company’s plea. Besides the company, erstwhile UPA ministers M VeerappaMoily and Murli Deora (since dead), RIL’s Chairman MukeshAmbani, former Director General of Hydrocarbons V K Sibal andother unknown persons were named in the FIR lodged by ACB. Allof them have denied the allegations. During the day’s hearing, Salve contended that the thenChief Minister (Arvind Kejriwal during his first stint) hadasked the ACB to lodge an FIR in the matter despite the factthat ACB did not have any jurisdiction to probe the matter. He also referred to the August 4 judgement of thedivision bench of the High Court which had held that powers ofthe ACB were limited to probing graft cases in variousdepartments which were under the administrative authority ofLG and not extending to central government employees. Delhi government’s senior standing counsel Rahul Mehratold the court that they were in the process of approachingthe Supreme Court challenging the August 4 verdict. "We are entitled to go to the Supreme Court. We are inthe process," he told the court and said the government wouldfile its response on RIL’s plea. The court then asked Mehra "what has happened in theFIR?" In response, Mehra said "nothing has happended for thelast two years" as the matter pertaining to powers of ACB waspending in the high court. The court then posted the matter for further hearing onSeptember 29. (More) PTI ABA HMP RKSARC