Sacked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra will record a “detailed statement” with regard to the alleged multi-crore water tanker scam in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) at the Capital’s anti-graft unit here on Tuesday.
This, sources said, will pave the way for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and at least two of his close aides to be questioned.
ACB chief speaks
On Monday, Mr. Mishra visited the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) to submit an application to the unit’s chief Mukesh Kumar Meena, requesting him to join the ongoing investigation in the alleged scam as a witness.
“Mr. Mishra presented an application stating that he wanted to become a witness in the ongoing investigation related to the water tanker scam. He has been requested to make himself available at any time he wishes tomorrow. His detailed statement will be recorded as and when he chooses to appear on Tuesday,” Mr. Meena told The Hindu.
According to sources, the former AAP Minister’s complaint alleging an exchange of cash between Mr. Kejriwal and his Cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain, which was filed with L-G Anil Baijal, had not been shared with the ACB. It is likely to be marked to the CBI for investigation on Tuesday.
L-G seeks report
After what sources termed was a “brief meeting” between Mr. Mishra and Mr. Meena, the latter called on the L-G as per a scheduled visit. The ACB chief is understood to have been directed to probe the scam intensively and submit a report to Raj Niwas within the next seven to 10 days.
A source claimed that Mr. Kejriwal was likely to be questioned about his decision to let “illegally allotted” contracts for tankers to continue offering their services despite the report of a fact-finding committee. An official privy to the investigation claimed that “an understanding between the Congress and the AAP” to maintain status quo in this regard “could not be ruled out.”
At the heart of the controversy are 385 water tankers that DJB hired in 2012 when Sheila Dikshit was Chief Minister and chairperson of the Board.
In June 2015, then DJB chairperson Mr. Mishra, who was sacked from the Cabinet on Saturday, had set up a fact-finding committee to look into the allegations that the hiring of tankers was not done as per rules. As per the report of the fact-finding committee, which was submitted to the DJB on July 14, 2015, the rules for floating tenders had not been followed and lower rates had been ignored.
On hiring the tankers and on consultancy fee, the DJB had incurred a total loss of ₹360.55 crore. A year after the report was completed, it was forwarded to the then L-G Najeeb Jung, who had marked it to the ACB in June 2016.
Since last summer, the ACB has asked for files pertaining to the decision to hire the tankers in the course of their investigation, said a senior DJB official. The official added that there had been no new development in the case, nor had any senior official been investigated. The DJB officials have maintained that there was no wrongdoing in the hiring of tankers.
