New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sent a "secret note" to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, mentioning allegations against Lt Governor-appointed Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) chief MK Meena of involvement in hawala and curtain purchase scam.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia informed the Delhi Assembly about the note while speaking on the functioning of the elite probe agency. The AAP government and the LG have been engaged in a bitter fight over administrative control of the ACB.
"Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sent a secret note to Union Home Minister and mentioned serious allegations - hawala and sofa-parda scam against him (Meena). I hope he (Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will take cognisance of this matter and will take strict action accordingly," Sisodia said.
Lt Governor Najeeb Jung earlier this month had appointed Meena, a joint commissioner of Delhi Police as the head of the ACB superseding Kejriwal's hand-picked chief SS Yadav which was strongly denounced by the AAP government. The AAP has been maintaining that Meena's appointment is illegal and that for it Yadav is the ACB chief.
Yesterday, Yadav had accused Meena of threatening and pressuring him and trying to hamper functioning of the anti-graft body.
Sources said Yadav has submitted three complaints against Meena's alleged high-handedness to the Vigilance Department of Delhi government which oversees functioning of the ACB.
"ACB comes under Delhi government's Vigilance Department and director of this department is the head of the ACB. This has been the arrangement since ACB's inception. ACB was formed under the Prevention of Corruption Act according and its mandate is to catch anybody involved in corruption," Sisodia said.
He claimed corruption has come down significantly since AAP came to power.
"The issue of ACB's functioning came into prominence when it arrested a constable of Delhi Police for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 10,000. Thereafter, this constable went to high court and senior officers also went there to support him.
"High court gave order in favour of Delhi government. Later, the case moved to Supreme Court which has not given any stay on high court's order and in view of this, ACB is completely under Delhi government," said Sisodia.
He also alleged that Meena's name had come in the hawala and curtain procurement scams.
"We want to know whether appointment has been made to the ACB to benefit the hawala traders," he said.
