Delhi High Court Rejects Swati Maliwal’s Plea in DCW Recruitment Case
New Delhi, India – The Delhi High Court has dismissed the plea of Rajya Sabha MP and former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson, Swati Maliwal, against the framing of charges in a recruitment case. The case involves alleged irregularities in the appointment of employees during her tenure in 2015-16.
Background
Swati Maliwal and three other DCW members, Promila Gupta, Sarika Chaudhary, and Farheen Malick, are accused of making appointments in violation of rules, leading to corruption charges. The appointments were allegedly made without following due process, and the appointees were said to be workers and acquaintances of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Court’s Decision
Justice Amit Mahajan dismissed Maliwal’s petition, along with two other petitions, meaning the trial will continue based on the charges framed in December 2022. Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh found sufficient material to frame charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy against the accused.
Accusations
The prosecution claims that the accused abused their official positions to benefit party workers and acquaintances. The appointments were made without advertising the posts and violated General Finance Rules (GFR) and other guidelines. The court noted that the minutes of DCW meetings indicated a strong suspicion of wrongdoing.
Conclusion
The court concluded that the accused cannot claim they did not abuse their positions for personal gain. The argument that DCW was autonomous in creating posts was rejected, as DCW had sought government permission for post creation. The court emphasized that arbitrary appointments violated rules and regulations, causing wrongful loss to the government.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi High Court -: The Delhi High Court is a big court in Delhi, India, where important legal cases are decided.
Swati Maliwal -: Swati Maliwal is a politician and was the head of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), which helps protect women’s rights.
DCW -: DCW stands for Delhi Commission for Women, an organization that works to help and protect women in Delhi.
Rajya Sabha MP -: A Rajya Sabha MP is a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, which is one of the two houses of India’s Parliament.
corruption -: Corruption means doing something wrong or illegal, usually to get money or power.
criminal conspiracy -: Criminal conspiracy means planning with others to do something illegal.
recruitment case -: A recruitment case involves issues related to hiring people for jobs.
irregularities -: Irregularities mean things that are not done according to the rules or are done in a wrong way.
tenure -: Tenure means the time period during which someone holds a particular job or position.
trial -: A trial is a process in court where it is decided if someone is guilty or not.
abused their positions -: Abused their positions means using their job or power in a wrong or unfair way.
party workers -: Party workers are people who work for a political party, helping with its activities and campaigns.
acquaintances -: Acquaintances are people you know but who are not close friends.