CBI carries out searches at Delhi minister Satyendar Jain's house; Arvind Kejriwal questions PM Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday carried out searches at the residence of Delhi minister Satyendar Jain in connection with the hiring of consultants in Public Works Department (PWD).

Jain took to Twitter to inform about the raid. He said: "CBI raids my house for hiring creative team by PWD. Professionals were hired for different projects. All were forced to leave by CBI."

Cbi raids my house for hiring creative team by PWD. Professionals were hired for different projects. All were forced to leave by cbi.

— Satyendar Jain (@SatyendarJain) May 30, 2018

Visibly annoyed at the development, Delhi Chief Minister attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the move. "What does PM Modi want?," the Delhi CM tweeted.

What does PM Modi want? https://t.co/3vN1MVxPqk

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 30, 2018

The CBI is probing the role of Jain, Delhi's PWD Minister, in connection with the alleged irregularities in the hiring of professionals in the PWD. The hiring of 24 architects was allegedly done through a detective agency which had no prior experience but was tasked with finding the "best brains" in architecture colleges across the country to be inducted in the creative team of the PWD.

It is alleged that the creative wing floated by the Delhi government on September 1, 2015 was without the requisite approval or knowledge of the Lieutenant Governor. It is also alleged that the hiring of the 24 professionals was done for two years on which Rs 5.74 crore were spent.

The preliminary enquiry was registered on the complaint from Vigilance Department of the Delhi government.