Sheeshmahal row: Govt seeks progress report on CBI probe

The Delhi Government has asked the Public Works Department (PWD) to submit details of all matters related to the residence of former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and the progress made in them. Last week, several top officials of the PWD and the Delhi chief secretary discussed, in a meeting, the status of the vigilance and CBI cases related to the Government bungalow at 6, Flagstaff Road.

The bungalow was termed a ‘Sheeshmahal’ by the BJP, alleging that inordinate expenses were incurred in renovating it by Kejriwal, who occupied it at the time.

According to officials, the chief minister’s office has also sought details of the progress of the cases in the last year, the officials suspended in the matter, and whether any action is being taken against retired officials.

“Several officials were suspended in the matter, and some of them retired. The matter is being dealt with by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). The Government has sought details, which we are providing,” a senior PWD official said.

In 2024, after Kejriwal resigned and vacated the Flagstaff Road bungalow, the PWD conducted a detailed audit of its interiors. The agency has since taken possession of the bungalow from the former chief minister and Kejriwal’s successor, Atishi. In 2022, on the orders of Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, the vigilance department launched an inquiry into alleged “irregularities and cost escalation in the renovation of the house” by the PWD during the bungalow’s revamp.

Later, in 2024, an inquiry was initiated against the PWD officials involved, and some were suspended. Currently, the matter is being probed by the CBI, which took over the case following a complaint by former Leader of Opposition and current Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta.

More than Rs 33 crore was spent on the renovation of the Delhi chief minister’s residence as against the initial estimate of Rs 7.9 crore, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has estimated.