The Wire and Delhi High Court
Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar approached the Delhi High Court on Monday seeking directions to online news portal The Wire to take down a report casting aspersions on Kumar in relation to the land acquisition by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the Dwarka Expressway project [Shri Naresh Kumar v The Wire & Ors].
The Wire’s report had said that Naresh Kumar’s son Karan Chauhan had links with a family which benefitted from the hiked compensation when a plot of land was acquired by the NHAI for the Dwarka Expressway.
Kumar besides praying for taking down of article has also sought directions to restrain The Wire and reporter Meetu Jain from publishing any further defamatory articles.
Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri heard the matter today.
The Court considered the arguments advanced by Senior Counsel Maninder Singh and listed the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.
The Wire had published a report on November 9, 2023 titled ‘Links of son of Delhi Chief Secretary to Beneficiary’s Family in Land Over-Valuation Case Raise Questions’.
In the story, it was alleged that Chauhan had links with the family that got benefits of the hiked compensation when a plot of land measuring 19 acre in Delhi’s Bamnoli village was acquired by the NHAI for Dwarka Expressway.
Kumar sent a legal notice to The Wire and Meetu Jain through Advocate Bani Dikshit on November 13, asking them to take down the article within 48 hours.
The notice stated that the report was defamatory, false, baseless and misleading and that it was Kumar who, on his own volition, took cognisance of the issue and “ensured that there should be no wrongful loss to public exchequer.”
Kumar further said that it was on his recommendation that the case was referred to the CBI on October 20, 2023.
Notably, Delhi’s Vigilance Minister, Atishi, also submitted a preliminary report on the issue to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
It was stated that an investigation revealed that Kumar benefitted from a company linked to his son with ₹897 crore of profits.
Atishi recommended an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and suspension of Kumar and Divisional Commissioner Ashwani Kumar so that they do not influence the probe.
Kejriwal forwarded the report to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena asking for suspension of Kumar and immediate removal as Chief Secretary.
On November 17, the Vigilance Minister sent a supplementary report to Kerjiwal alleging Kumar’s role in benefitting his son in a project related to Delhi government’s ILBS Hospital.
It was alleged that Kumar’s son’s company was given the job of coming up with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) software for ILBS Hospital without tender and the company made a profit of hundreds of crores from it.
On Sunday, the LG VK Saxena rejected the report seeking removal of Kumar in relation to Bamnoli land acquisition case noting that it was based on the minister’s preconceived assumption and could hinder the ongoing investigation.
Saxena also said that the matter is already before the Supreme Court and is being probed by the CBI. He further said that the confidential report was leaked to the media and the leak suggests that the motive was to initiate a media trial.
