Delhi: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's principal secretary Rajendra Kumar was arrested by the CBI on Monday along with four others in a corruption case to the tune of Rs 50 crore.
Kumar, a 1989 IAS officer of UT cadre, was called along with Tarun Sharma, a deputy secretary in Kejriwal's office, besides three other private persons for questioning at the CBI headquarters this morning.
After being questioned for half a day, the CBI decided to place the two officers under arrest along with a close aide of Kumar, Ashok Kumar and owners of a private firm Sandeep Kumar and Dinesh Gupta.
Addressing the press in the national capital, CBI Spokesperson, RK Gowda said, "Allegations related to bribery and abuse of position is against them. Further probe is underway."
Reacting to the developments, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia slammed the BJP-led government at Centre and said, "Delhi CM's principal secretary arrested, deputy secretary arrested and additional secretary transferred - This is all done to paralyse the CM's office."
"Central government has now stooped very low by doing this. This is all a conspiracy," he added.
There is a conspiracy to paralyse the CM office - Pr and Dy Secy to CM arrested, Asst Secy transferred to Andaman. All in one day! (1/n)
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) July 4, 2016
This is the lowest levels to which a Central govt has stooped, from the time Delhi has had an elected govt in 1991 (2/n)
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) July 4, 2016
All this is happening bcoz AAP is winning the elections in Punjab and Goa and garnering massive support in Gujarat (9/n)
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) July 4, 2016
Modi ji, let me tell you - we've been elected by ppl of Delhi, we shall run an effective govt for them despite all your attacks on us! (n/n)
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) July 4, 2016
On December 15 last year, CBI had raided the office of Kumar.
They had registered the case against Kumar and others on the allegations against the officer that he had abused his official position by favouring the firm in the last few years in getting tenders from Delhi government departments.
The charges pressed by the CBI are under sections 120-B of IPC (criminal conspiracy), and 13(2), 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Criminal conspiracy, criminal misconduct etc) for allegedly favouring a private company - Endeavour Systems Pvt Ltd - in bagging five contracts.
CBI had said in April this year, "Rajender Kumar had played an active role in the process of promising and facilitating award of tender to a pre determined party i.e., M/s Endeavour Systems Pvt Ltd due to extraneous considerations and devoid of public interest which shows clear element of abuse of official position and criminal conspiracy among the accused persons including the Directors of the present applicant company," as per PTI.
The case was registered based on a complaint from former Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC) member Ashish Joshi to the Delhi Police Anti-Corruption bureau (ACB).
The complaint was forwarded to CBI in July following which the agency registered an FIR after a five-month-long probe.
Kumar was also secretary to Kejriwal during his previous stint as Delhi CM.
The raid on Kumar by the CBI had led to a war of words between the Delhi government and the Centre last year. Kejriwal had taken to Twitter and had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'could not handle him politically' and that's why he was resorting to 'cowardice'.
(With Agency inputs)
