Delhi Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has sought permission from the Director of Vigilance for questioning former Chief Secretary PK Tripathi for his alleged role in favouring a particular vendor in connection with CNG fitness scam.
PK Tripathi also served as the Principal Secretary of the Chief Minister holding the post of the Chairman of Public Grievances Cell (PGC). Investigations by the ACB have found that PK Tripathi misused his position and sanctioned finance to the tune of Rs 322.25 lakh and Rs 470.58 lakh respectively to ESP companies. Tripathi used his influence to sanction this financial bonanza to the ESP companies when he oversaw the work of Finance Department for just two days in August 2008 and May 2009.
Director of Vigilance AB Shukla has been caught in a cleft stick as he needs the approval of the current Chief Secretary DM Spolia for granting sanctions. Interestingly Spolia holds the charge of Vigilance Department and it is highly unlikely that he will grant sanctions to question his predecessor. Tripathi’s name came to the fore after whistleblower Anil Chhikara petitioned a Tis Hazari court to depose under Section 164 of the CrPC.
Chikara’s attempt to testify was prevented by the ACB officials who disapproved it during the last hearing on Saturday. ACB officials informed the court that many top officials were involved in the CNG fitness scam and they have sought sanctions from the Vigilance Department for questioning former CS PK Tripathi.
Sources in the ACB said that the seeds of this scam were sown during Tripathi’s posting in the Chief Minister’s Office. ACB’s investigators have sufficient evidence to suggest that Tripathi was very much aware that ESP-USA, the consultant company for the CNG fitness and ESP-India entrusted with conducting tests were separate entities. Tripathi allegedly prevailed upon the Finance Department in 2008 to omit the paragraph that objected to inexperienced companies getting contracts.
This was done to benefit ESP-India to wangle the lucrative contract. It was found that the then Finance Secretary, DV Bhatt, was on leave on January 4, 2008 and Tripathi was handed over the charge for a day. He used his influence to get the files cleared from the Finance, Planning and law and Justice Department. Director of ESP India PC Tamta’s proximity with top bureaucrats at Players Building tilted the balance in his favour and the file moved at breakneck speed.
ACB sources contended the tearing hurry and why the decision was taken when the Finance Secretary was on leaveIJ It has also been revealed that Tripathi convened a meeting of the State Transport Department in February 2007 in his office which was attended by ESP-India directors. To allow the officials of a bidding company in the meeting was in contravention of the established rules, sources in ACB added. Every conceivable action was initiated to benefit ESP-India in getting the prized contract and Delhi Government officials fudged the procedures and circumvented rules to benefit ESP India on the instructions of the powers to be, the sources added.