A team of the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) paid a visit to Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal’s office here with regard to a complaint that alleged irregularities by her predecessors Barkha Singh and Kiran Walia of the Congress during their tenure.
According to a senior ACB official, a team headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police and accompanied by a woman police went to Ms. Maliwal’s office seeking more details into the complaint against Ms. Singh and former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday afternoon.
Ms. Maliwal had filed the said complaint alleging financial irregularities and misappropriation of funds meant for the functioning of the commission by her predecessors between 2007 and 2015.
Counter attack?
“The DCW chairperson was asked questions about her allegations in pursuance of her complaint; the visit of the ACB team on Thursday was purely in connection with Ms. Maliwal’s complaint against three Congress functionaries and not in relation to a complaint alleging illegal recruitments in the DCW filed against her by Ms. Singh,” said a senior ACB official on condition of anonymity.
On September 21, Ms. Maliwal was booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal breach of trust for allegedly flouting recruitment norms and “hiring people on contracts in an arbitrary manner and also fixing their remunerations” with regard to the appointment of 70 personnel in the commission.
A few days later, Ms. Maliwal lodged a complaint with the ACB alleging financial irregularities running into crores, including an amount of Rs. 50 lakh that was swindled in the name of the December 16 gangrape victim in the immediate aftermath of her death.
“Instances of gross financial irregularities and high misappropriation of government funds was done by previous chairpersons Barkha Shukla Singh and Kiran Walia, with some instances prima facie being carried out under the directions of then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit,” the complaint read.
The complaint also alleged that while holding the post of chairperson Ms. Shukla’s conduct amounted to misusing of public office with an aim to benefit certain individuals.
“Every year, a majority of the budget of the DCW was spent on organising functions and giving out ads, which were criticised by audit reports time and again,” the complaint added.
On September 21,
Ms. Maliwal was booked on charges
of allegedly flouting recruitment norms
