Delhi CS moves HC challenging fresh notice by House panel

New Delhi: Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash on Wednesday approached the Delhi High Court against a fresh notice issued by a Delhi Assembly committee asking him to appear before it on Thursday, March 8.

Prakash's counsel Vivek Chib mentioned his plea before a bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar, who listed the matter for hearing on Thursday before a single-judge bench.

The counsel told the court that the notice was issued to Prakash by the assembly's Question and Reference Committee, although a stay had been granted by the high court in the Chief Secretary's main petition challenging the notice issued by the House's Privileges Committee.

On March 5, the committee had assured the court that it would not take any coercive action against the Chief Secretary.

Prakash had challenged the Privileges Committee notice directing him to appear before it for skipping a meeting on February 20, a day after he was allegedly assaulted by two AAP MLAs Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal, who are currently in judicial custody.

Prakash also did not attend the subsequent meetings on February 21 and 23, following which the notice was issued on March 1.

The officer had sought quashing of the notice issued to him by the committee and said he had a right to free and fair investigation.