Probing the multi-crore water tanker scam, Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) visited former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s residence in Nizamuddin on Sunday and handed over a set of 18 questions asking her to reply within the next few days.
Meanwhile, Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra alleged that the ACB’s visit to Shiela’s residence is a “mere formality” and it is “under pressure” to save the former Chief Minister.
“We have examined Sheila and have asked 18 questions,” said ACB chief Mukesh Kumar Meena. “We have asked her to reply to the questions within next two-three days,” said a senior ACB official, adding, “We have asked that why a private company was favoured when there were other companies offering water tankers at lower rates.”
A top ACB official said the agency is also planning to question Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Water Resources Minister Kapil Mishra who had formed a fact finding committee to investigate the alleged scam last year based on whose report the probe agency had started its investigation.
The Delhi BJP had slammed Kejriwal and Mishra for delay in sending the report of the fact-finding committee to the ACB.
There are allegations that the Government lost revenue in excess of Rs400 crore due to alleged financial bungling in procurement of 385 water tankers by the Delhi Jal Board in 2012 when Sheila as the Delhi Chief Minister headed the body.
Dikshit, who has been anointed Congress’ chief ministerial nominee for Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls slated for early next year, questioned the timing of the probe and said she conveyed to the ACB that she cannot reply to questions immediately. “I told the investigators that I cannot answer any one of them (questions) soon as decisions were taken about four years ago. I do not remember all the details. They said I can take time to reply to the questions,” she said.
Rejecting the allegations, Dikshit said all decisions regarding procurement of the tankers were taken by a board comprising a number of top bureaucrats, DJB board members, officials of the civic bodies and representative of opposition BJP.
She also criticised the AAP government for making “baseless allegations”.
Mishra accused the BJP of “shielding” Dikshit and demanded that she be arrested in connection with the multi-crore scam.
“I am the complainant in the case. ACB had summoned me to its office and I was questioned for over four hours in presence of over a dozen officials. There was cross questioning and interrogation and I was made to sign on a statement then and there only,” Mishra said in a statement.
“But on the other hand they did not call Dikshit but went to her place and did not conduct any interrogation. They stayed there for twenty minutes, had tea, handed over a list of questions and left,” he added.
“This visit is a mere formality. Four separate cases of corruption are pending against Dikshit and still this kind of fear to act against her. BJP is shielding her and ACB is under pressure to save her,” he added.
The Aam Aadmi Party Government had in June last year constituted a fact-finding committee to probe the irregularities. Also, the Delhi Government had in June sent a report of the fact-finding committee on the scam to lt Governor Najeeb Jung following which an FIR was registered in connection with the matter.
The ACB then had said they would question Dikshit in connection with allegations against her relating to the scam. Dikshit had all along been maintaining that there was no corruption at all in procurement of tankers and that the allegations were “politically motivated”.