Bamnoli land acquisition case: Atishi sends fresh report to Delhi CM seeking Chief Secy's suspension (Ld)

New Delhi: Vigilance Minister Atishi on Wednesday once again submitted a fresh report on the ongoing investigation on the role of Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and his son in the corruption case regarding NHAI Dwarka E-way land compensation to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, sources said.

According to sources, Atishi submitted the report with additional facts and information in response to the directions of Kejriwal to examine the observations made by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on the preliminary report submitted by the Vigilance Minister earlier on November 14.

Based on the findings in the supplementary report, the Vigilance Minister requested Saxena to review his position and refer this matter to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate not just the actions of the then District Magistrate (DM) but also the role of Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and the Divisional Commissioner Ashwini Kumar, along with the role of his son and his business associates or partners in this matter, the source said.

Earlier, Saxena observed that the Chief Secretary had taken action against Hemant Kumar, the then DM South West Delhi.

In view of this the Minister, the source said, noted that the Chief Secretary and Divisional Commissioner resorted to mere “shadow boxing” despite knowing all the facts, the DM was not suspended for three- and-a-half months.

The source further said that the Minister's fresh report revealed that the Chief Secretary did not take any action against the DM South West.

The source said that Atishi wrote to the LG, that "silence and delay in suspension of DM South West seem deliberate and wilful at behest of the Naresh Kumar and Ashwini Kumar."

"The Chief Secretary made every possible effort to save DM South West. She requested Saxena emphasising the necessity to suspend the Chief Secretary until investigation takes place," the source said.

The source also said that after Kejriwal forwarded the preliminary report of Atishi to the LG regarding the alleged Dwarka E-Way land compensation scam, Saxena responded with his observations.

The source said that the Chief Minister further directed Atishi for the examination of Saxena's observations.

"As per directions of the Chief Minister, the Vigilance Minister examined the observations made by the Saxena, requesting him to review his position on this matter," the source said.

The source said that Atishi in her fresh report said that Saxena has made a blanket statement that there is no evidence against the Chief Secretary and he has completely ignored the key findings of the report. "It ill-behooves a responsible, accountable and clean government to look away from such incriminating findings against its officers, for whatever reasons. The LG’s observation is refuted by the significant discoveries regarding connections between the Chief Secretary and the landowners made in the report, which had not been disclosed by the Chief Secretary at any point," the source said referring to the report by Atishi.

He further said that Atishi also mentioned that findings of the Preliminary Report that warrant a detailed investigation. "Even the exorbitant arbitral award by DM Hemant Kumar could have been treated as an erroneous judgment, but it has indeed been referred to the CBI to identify corrupt practices, if any. The damning findings of the Preliminary Report show prima facie indicate corruption by the Chief Secretary and the Divisional Commissioner and the possibility of money laundering, which must be referred to the investigative agencies," the source said referring to the fresh report.

The source said that the Minister shedding light on the established relationship between the landowners and Chief Secretary through his son, in her report, wrote, "It is perplexing that the L-G, in his note, has completely ignored the factual findings arising from the enquiry conducted by the Directorate of Vigilance. The Preliminary Report brings out the relationship between the landowners and the Chief Secretary through his son and the suspect role of the Chief Secretary and the Divisional Commissioner."

The source said that the Minister in her report highlighted that the Chief Secretary’s son has most recently been working as the Strategic Advisor at a firm or group, whose Director or CEO is the son-in-law of the wrongly-benefitted landowners.

The source said that Atishi also mentioned that the Chief Secretary’s son is a Director in several companies of this group and many of his co-directors in these companies are also key personnel in other companies of this group.

The source further stated that Atishi in her report mentioned that the company was founded by the Chief Secretary’s son, one of the promoters of this group, as its co-founder and the business interests of the Chief Secretary’s son are closely aligned with the benefitted landowners through a web of companies associated with this group.

Atishi, the source said, in her report pointed out that Hemant Kumar was appointed as the DM Southwest on the proposal of Naresh Kumar within 40 days of him taking charge as the Chief Secretary. Atishi in her report mentioned, “It has been claimed the Chief Secretary and the Divisional Commissioner acted swiftly against the DM, asked him to undo the award and even started an enquiry against him. However, when one looks into the details of the events that transpired it will become clear that not only were there delays in the responses by these senior officers, their so-called ‘action’ was shadow boxing."

The source said, that Atishi in her report requested Saxena to suspend the Chief Secretary and stated, “While the CBI is already seized of the matter, the report of the Department of Vigilance has focused only on the actions of the erstwhile DM Hemant Kumar, and has not fleshed out the culpability of the Chief Secretary and the Divisional Commissioner. This is understandably so because the Chief Secretary heads the Department of Vigilance as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner. The preliminary report put up to the Chief Minister and presented to the LG prima facie indicates that the CS and the Divisional Commissioner were complicit in the egregious lapses, and their role needs to be thoroughly investigated."

The source said that Atishi also mentioned that it is in the public interest that the CBI and ED, which are specialised agencies, investigate not just the action of the then DM but also the role of the Chief Secretary and the Divisional Commissioner, along with the role of his son and his business associates or partners in this matter.