A former Deputy Commissioner of the Transport Department was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch of Delhi Government for alleged corruption in fitness test of commercial vehicles. Joginder Sharma, a former Deputy Commissioner posted at Vehicle Inspection Unit (VIU) at Burari, was produced before Special Judge Narottam Kaushal on Friday, who later granted his bail.
Sharma is accused of allowing a private company, ESP India, to charge fees from commercial vehicles for various fitness tests which were not actually being conducted. While the ACB sought judicial custody of the accused, the court granted him bail saying he had no direct role in the overcharging during the fitness tests. The ACB made the arrests on the complaint by RTI activist Vivek Garg alleging that the contract for fitness test of commercial vehicles was granted by the Delhi Government to ESP India without inviting any tender or conducting any tests.
During the arguments, Special Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan told the court that he was posted at VIU, Burari from December 2009 to August 2011, during which period vehicle owners were charged by ESP India for various tests which never actually took place. Investigating Officer Pankaj Sharma told the court that when the fact of overcharging by ESP, which siphoned off crores like this, was brought to Sharma’s notice by the Motor licencing Officers posted at the Burari unit, he did not take any required action.
Sharma’s counsel countered the allegations saying he had no role in the decision making process whereby the contract was granted to ESP India. He also submitted that “an inquiry revealed that Sharma was not situated at VIU, Burari and was spending most of the time at the headquarters of the Transport Department. He also said no action was taken by any official against the alleged irregularities even after he took voluntary retirement last year due to his deteriorating health and he was being made a scapegoat.