Gandhinagar cops can't probe case against Gaurav Dahiya: Gujarat HC

Suspended Gujarat IAS officer Gaurav Dahiya on Thursday got a major relief from the Gujarat High Court after it ruled that the Gandhinagar police cannot probe the case against Dahiya. The case against Dahiya was filed in Delhi by the aggrieved woman Leenu Singh.

The court also said that since the matter was under probe in Delhi, a simultaneous probe cannot be carried out by the Gandhinagar police. It, however, clarified that the Gandhinagar police can summon Dahiya in connection with the two complaints filed by the IAS officer against the woman.

Later, at a press conference held in the evening, Dahiya's lawyer Hitesh Gupta said that they have appeared before the Delhi police following summons from them. "But the case jurisdiction is in Delhi and Chennai. Gujarat has no role in it. The Delhi police had just marked a copy to the Gandhinagar police. That's why we had moved the petition," said Gupta. He clarified that they have been cooperating in the investigation and will continue to do so.

Earlier the High Court had sought clarification from the state on how it could initiate parallel proceedings in the complaint filed by Delhi-based woman against Dahiya. The IAS officer had moved the court demanding that proceedings initiated by the police inspector of Gandhinagar's Sector 7 police station on the basis of the complaint filed by the woman should be quashed.

The state had argued that Dahiya should cooperate with the investigation and that the Delhi police had transferred the complaint to Gandhinagar police. Dahiya's lawyers had argued that the case was not transferred but that the Gandhinagar police had been informed about the same.

While the woman, who claimed to be Dahiya's second wife, had alleged bigamy, cheating, criminal intimidation, and breach of trust against the bureaucrat, the latter has also charged her of harassment, blackmailing, and extortion.