CBI books ex-Secretary, raids Delhi Secretariat

New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday said it has registered a corruption case against Delhi government`s former Health Secretary Tarun Seem in connection with a Rs 10.50-crore contract awarded to three security agencies to augment security at Delhi hospitals.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) teams on Thursday also conducted searches at six places, including the Delhi government`s Secretariat, in Delhi and the National Capital region.

The agency officials also carried out raids at the official and residential premises of Seem and other accused to collect documents pertaining to the contract for hiring Knight Watch Security Limited, Innovision Limited, and Security and Intelligence Service.

The CBI filed the FIR against Seem and the companies for criminal conspiracy and cheating under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

"Irregularities were committed in the engagement of three private agencies for security in the emergency areas of Delhi government hospitals," the CBI official said.

Reacting to the CBI raids, the AAP again accused the Centre of misusing the CBI against its party leaders.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh took to Twitter: "Soon, everything came to normal in the AAP; the central government today left its parrot (CBI) behind Satyendar Jain. They kept on disturbing us and we kept on working."

Seem, considered close to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, was earlier appointed Health Secretary by the Aam Aadmi Party government.

But the decision was overturned by then Lt. Gov. Najeeb Jung because only an IAS officer can serve as a Secretary to the government.

Seem, an Indian Revenue Service officer, was later appointed Director of Health Services in Delhi by the Kejriwal government.