The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the State government to examine the allegations made by the petitioner against the Mayor, Nagar Nigam, Roorkee and to take their decision on the complaints after conducting investigation/inquiry.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Ramesh Chandra Khulbe disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by one Amit Aggarwal filed seeking a direction to the State Government to remove the Mayor, Nagar Nigam, Roorkee (Haridwar, Uttarakhand).
The petitioner also sought a direction to the State to conduct an appropriate inquiry into the alleged illegal act attributed to the Mayor.
It is contended by the petitioner that two FIRs have been registered against the Mayor and there are several other allegations made in the petition with regard to the alleged abuse of his office by the Mayor.
Section 16 of the Uttarakhand MunicipalCorporation Act, 1959 describes the procedure for removal of Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The power to remove the Mayor and Deputy Mayor resides in the State Government.
In these circumstances, the bench disposed of the petition with direction to the respondent-State to examine the allegations made by the petitioner in the petition against the Mayor and to take their decision on the said complaints after conducting investigation/inquiry that is called for on the basis of the material produced by the petitioner.
Further, the Court directed that the State Government should take its decision within the next two months and the same should be communicated to the petitioner.
It is clarified by the Court that it has not gone into the allegations made against the petitioner and this order shall not be construed as reflection on the merits of the allegations made in this petition.