Gujarat HC seeks government’s response to IAS officer Gaurav Dahiya’s plea

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat high court on Monday asked the prosecutor to take instructions from the state government concerning the criminal inquiry under way against suspended IAS officer Gaurav Dahiya, based on a complaint of bigamy and cheating filed by a Delhi-based woman, Leenu Singh.
Justice S H Vora sought a response from the government regarding the ongoing criminal inquiry by the Sector 7 police inspector by August 22, when further proceedings will take place on Dahiya’s petition to quashing the action initiated against him by Gandhinagar police.In his petition, filed through advocate Ashish Dagli, Dahiya challenged the jurisdiction of Gandhinagar police to inquire into Singh’s complaint on the grounds that she had filed the complaint with an ACP of the Crime Against Women Cell, New Delhi. The incidents alleged took place in Delhi and outside Gujarat. The complaint is being investigated by Delhi police. He has been summoned by Delhi police on August 21.
Gandhinagar police cannot hold a parallel inquiry on one complaint and hence, Gandhinagar police should be stopped from probing the matter, he contended.
Dahiya also sought the HC’s intervention against his possible arrest. He submitted that the Sector 7 police inspector has been summoning him by issuing three letters to record his statement, but when he reaches the police station, police may take coercive action and arrest him. The police inspector, though the matter is not in his purview, intends to arrest him.
Dahiya has stated that the woman’s complaint concerns a dispute that arose out of the relationship.
The woman maintained a relationship with him despite having knowledge of his marital status and his status in the department, and then “harassed, blackmailed and ultimately started defaming” him by spreading fake news and sending morphed photographs, the petition states.
Dahiya has also stated that the woman had first filed a complaint before Aligarh police, which investigated the matter. He filed a reply to Aligarh police’s queries and the proceedings were disposed of.
Dahiya said he had filed two complaints against the woman for harassment, intimidation and extortion with the cyber cell in Shahibaug on February 25 and with Sector 7 police station on June 7, but no action was taken.