During the hearing, Sharma appeared in court and sought more time to investigate. The judge said sufficient opportunity had already been granted and questioned why no concrete action had been taken.Petitioner’s counsel, advocate Poonam Chand Bhandari, appearing for TN Sharma, told court that despite orders dated Sept 6, 2024, directing an inquiry into tender-related matters, 27 complaints backed by documents were submitted to the ACB. “No meaningful investigation was initiated in any of the cases. It is seen that ACB acts swiftly against lower-level officials such as clerks and constables; it hesitates to proceed against senior officers. In 1 of the cases, documents were manipulated using whitener to fraudulently extend work orders, yet no FIR was registered,” Bhandari argued.Asked whether the complaints disclosed a cognisable offence and whether any preliminary inquiry was conducted, Sharma said there were telephonic discussions and more time was needed.The court said such responses showed reluctance at higher levels to act, and directed the ACB to place on record concrete steps taken by March 9, clarifying that more time would be considered only if substantive progress is shown.
