State refuses sanction under Section 17A of PC Act; major setback for anti-corruption drive
The Haryana government has refused to grant sanction for investigating four senior IAS officers accused in the multi-crore Faridabad Municipal Corporation (MC) scam, effectively halting the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau’s (ACB) probe into their role.
The officers, all former MC Commissioners of Faridabad, are named in five FIRs registered between 2022 and 2023. Without government approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act), the ACB is legally barred from pursuing inquiries against them.
What Section 17A Mandates
Section 17A, introduced in 2018, requires prior government sanction before any probe into alleged corruption by public servants can begin. While intended to protect honest officials from frivolous cases, critics argue it is often used to shield powerful bureaucrats from accountability.
FIRs Highlight Cost Escalations, Fake Orders, and Tender Manipulation
The five FIRs detail a pattern of inflated costs, fake tenders, and irregular payments in civic projects during different commissioners’ tenures.
FIR No. 11 (March 24, 2022)
Officer: Yash Garg
Allegation: Cost escalation of paver block work in Ward 14 from ₹53.82 lakh to ₹1.97 crore
Status: Sanction denied for Garg; earlier granted for Sonal Goel and Anita Yadav
FIR No. 13 (April 19, 2022)
Officer: Yash Garg
Allegation: ₹1.26 crore paid for interlocking work in 7 wards despite no execution
Status: Sanction denied for Garg; approval for Goel under HC challenge
FIR No. 21 (June 16, 2022)
Officers: Sonal Goel, Mohd Shayin
Allegation: ₹1.76 crore paid to contractor without tenders
Status: Sanction denied for both
FIR No. 23 (July 15, 2022)
Officers: Shayin, Goel, Yadav, Garg
Allegation: Project cost escalated from ₹25 lakh to nearly ₹2 crore in just two days
Status: Sanction refused for all four officers
FIR No. 24 (September 5, 2023)
Officer: Anita Yadav
Allegation: Fake dispatch numbers and inflated costs in a road divider project (₹27.52 lakh raised to ₹4.94 crore)
Status: Sanction denied for Shayin, Garg, Goel; only Yadav remains under probe
‘Selective Targeting’, Claims IAS Officer
Reacting to the development, IAS Anita Yadav said she had been “singled out,” while others similarly placed had been shielded.
“I will approach the High Court against this pick and choose,” she told The Tribune.
Legal Challenges and Fallout
IAS Sonal Goel, who earlier received sanction in two FIRs, has already challenged the decision in the High Court. With multiple petitions pending, the government’s refusals are expected to face fresh judicial scrutiny.
Meanwhile, activists and retired bureaucrats warn that repeated denials of sanction risk undermining both the credibility of the anti-corruption framework and the morale of investigating officers.
Common Allegations Across FIRs
Investigations point to recurring irregularities:
Splitting projects to bypass tendering norms
Issuing fake or backdated work orders
Approving massive cost escalations within days
Making payments without completion certificates or on-site verification
All cases prominently name contractor Satbir Singh as the key beneficiary.
Probe Stalled Until Courts Intervene
Despite voluminous evidence and seized records, the ACB cannot move forward against the IAS officers without sanction. Unless overturned in court, the government’s refusal effectively paralyses the cases, even as lower-level officials and private contractors remain under investigation.
