The Rajasthan anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Wednesday directed its officials to not reveal the names or share the photos of the “accused and suspects in a bribery case until they are convicted by a court”, people in the know of the matter said.
According to an order issued by newly-appointed ACB additional director general Hemant Priyadarshy, all chowki in-charges were directed “to not reveal the name and photo of the accused and suspects unless they are convicted by the court”.
The order further stated that “only the rank/ designation and name of the department of the accused will be shared with the media”.
Priyadarshy took over as the ACB additional director general on Wednesday after former director general of police BL Soni retired on December 31.
“It is a practice followed by professional agencies. The order is in compliance with the guidelines of Supreme Court, which has been put into practice,” Priyadarshy said, adding that even the Central Bureau of Investigation has been practicing this for many years. “Guilty or not, it is the court that decides.”
Targeting the Ashok Gehlot-led state government, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led opposition questioned the intention behind the order, with deputy leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore calling the order a ‘Tughlaqi Farman’.
“In order to give protection to the corrupt, the freedom of the press is being violated by issuing a Tughlaqi decree asking to not reveal the photo and name of accused in the media,” Rathore tweeted.
“This order of the [Ashok] Gehlot government has dusted off the promise of working on the principle of ‘Zero Discretion, Zero Corruption and Zero Tolerance’,” he tweeted.
Congress spokesperson Swarnim Sharma said the BJP has no right to question the government as the prosecution and arrest by the police and ACB is highest ever. Teh government not only ensures zero tolerance to crime and corruption but has introduced new laws such as against cheating. Even the government officials found gulity have been suspended immediately, and such has never happened in BJP government.