Special Secretary (Vigilance) of the Delhi Government YVVJ Rajasekhar in a communication sent to the Union Home Ministry and the Delhi Lieutenant Governor expressed apprehension that sensitive files related to the excise policy and the Chief Minister’s residence renovation might be destroyed or tampered with.
The IAS officer has also directed all officers under his command not to provide any vigilance related files on the verbal instructions from the Minister (Vigilance) Saurabh Bhardwaj. “The undersigned is apprehensive that the records will be destroyed or might have been destroyed in due course of time. The undersigned instructed all the Assistant Directors not to indulge in such kind of insubordination at the instance of the Minister (Vigilance). Officers cannot take verbal instructions from the Minister as we are not in a disaster or emergency situation,” Rajasekhar said in his letter to the MHA, the L-G and the Additional Commissioner of Police (Anti-Corruption Branch).
The letter has also been marked to Assistant Director Vigilance (Care Taking) to inform the in-charge Inspector of Delhi Police stationed at Delhi Secretariat.
Terming him as Wankhede of Delhi Vigilance Department, the AAP Government in a statement said he was one of the prime accused in CNG kit scam and CBI had recommended disciplinary action against him.
The subject heading of the letter reads “Information regarding entering the Room no. 403 (Special Secretary (Vigilance) at Delhi Sectt in the night intervening from May 15, 2023 to 3. 00 am of May 16, 2023 for the purpose of records and searching of room.”
“This is in continuation of my earlier report, dated 15.05.2023 which was sent to Secretary (Vigilance) and Chief Secretary/ Chief Vigilance Officer, regarding the instructions of Hon’ble Minister (Vigilance) directing the Assistant Directors not to submit the files to the undersigned,” the Special Secretary Vigilance said.
When, these instructions of Minister (Bhardwaj) were received at 11.30 am on May 15, 2023, there were about 76 files in the Confidential Section of the Special Secretary (Vigilance) and the same were sent to the Secretary (Vigilance) according to the instructions of the Minister (Vigilance) without examining these 76 files, merely recording Bhardwaj’s instructions that Rajasekhar should not to examine the files.
The files in the Confidential Sections apprehended to have been tampered, photocopied or misplaced relate to proposal file of CBI for according sanction under section of 17 A of Prevention of Corruption Act in excise matters and policy, tender files and terms and conditions of 6 Flag Staff, Civil Lines (CM’s residence), subsequent alterations and additions file of 6 Flag Staff, Civil Lines measurement books regarding payments made by PWD with respect CM’s official bungalow and the notice inviting tenders files.
Other such files relate to deviation files of 6 Flag Staff, Civil Lines, revised extra item for superior specifications of CM Arvind Kejriwal’s official bungalow, photo of individuals who have supervised the construction and a file with title “Talk to AK File” (Directorate of Information and Publicity).
Such files also relate to DIP matters regarding Supreme Court judgment in common cause case judgment and illegal payments of bills, certain files relating to departments, where matter was referred to Central investigating agencies under the extant provisions/rules and other various files/documents related to prosecution sanctions of officers of Excise Department among others.
“It is not advisable to transfer or send the files either photocopies or otherwise to the Minister as per “Principles of Arm Length”. We need to carefully examine before taking a view with reference to the verbal directions of the Minister,” Rajasekhar said in his letter.
According to the letter, Buniyad Singh, Assistant Director (Vigilance) rang up Rajasekhar at around 9.14 PM on May 15 wherein he informed that officials have been summoned to open his office room for the sake of collection of records.
Rajasekhar seriously objected to such a call for taking away the records as per the alleged instructions of Bhardwaj at midnight and strongly objected not to indulge in such acts.
“However, it is understood from preliminary enquiry that Manish (Multi-Tasking Staff) has opened the room of the undersigned (Rajasekhar) and allegedly photocopied all the records i.e from May 15, 2023 night to May 16, 2023 till 3:00 am. The undersigned is not sure whether any record/file was taken away or otherwise tempered with it or photocopied, it is a serious lapse in the present scenario,” Rajasekhar flagged in his letter.
“These files should be properly inventorised and some of them were already subjudice before the Hon’ble Courts of Law in various forums. I have serious apprehension that our rooms might have been bugged and there is every likelihood of breach of secrecy, tempering of records, fabrication of records etc. I request the Senior Officers for appropriate action at the earliest. The undersigned in the meanwhile strongly instructing the Assistant Director (Care Taking) and Delhi Police In charge Inspector of Delhi Sectt. to ensure that the room of the undersigned and the Confidential Section where systems are in place are not touched or given excess to anyone without the authorisation of the undersigned,” the Secretary (Vigilance) added.
Responding to his allegations, the Delhi Government questioned how was he posted in vigilance in the first place by the L-G needs to be probed. He was one of the prime accused in CNG kit scam and CBI had recommended disciplinary action against him. Several complaints have been received against him from several people and several officers that he demands protection money. Work was officially withdrawn from him through an order on May 13. If the work has been officially withdrawn from him on Saturday, how is he still in possession of all files?
“When his work is assigned to other officers, the office procedure demands that he should have officially handed over all files to the new officers. What is his interest in keeping some files despite him being removed from that work?,” reads the statement issued by the AAP Government..
Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, said this has exposed the Kejriwal Government’s dictatorship. This Government is setting a new trend. This is a serious matter that Minister Bhardwaj on the instructions of Kejriwal and photocopies of sensitive files in his absence.”