Six engineers from the Public Works Department (PWD) have joined an investigation into alleged graft-related irregularities worth ₹10 crore in the awarding of construction contracts.
The development comes on the heels of a complaint from a PWD official alleging deliberate damage to a drain by a relative of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal surfaced on Saturday.
According to officials privy to the investigation being carried out by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), which recently lodged three separate FIRs in the case, the engineers have been questioned and their statements will be recorded.
Meanwhile, a complaint forwarded by a PWD assistant engineer to the local police has surfaced with the complainant alleging the role of the son of Mr. Kejriwal’s now deceased brother-in-law Surender Bansal in damaging a drain under the jurisdiction of the PWD.
‘Caller threatened me’
“During an inspection on April 3, 2016, it was seen that a tractor with a compressor and three persons were breaking the RCC box drain constructed by the PWD to drain out rain water. I asked him [Mr. Bansal’s son] not to do so,” the complaint read.
“After that a person called me on the phone and introduced himself as Vinay Kumar from Renu Construction and asked me to not disturb these persons and allow them to break the drain. He threatened my life. I lodged a complaint with the SHO Nangloi but till today no action has been taken,” the complaint said.
Renu Construction was being operated by Mr. Bansal and is one of the three companies under the scanner of the ACB on the basis of a complaint filed by Rahul Sharma, founder of Roads Anti-Corruption Organisation (RACO), an NGO.
Mr. Sharma has alleged irregularities in the grant of contracts for roads and sewer lines in Delhi in 2015-16.
RACO, an organisation that claims to monitor construction projects in Delhi, had alleged that a firm linked to Mr. Bansal was involved in financial irregularities in building a drainage system in northwest Delhi. It had alleged that the bills sent to the PWD for the works, which were not completed, were “false and fabricated”.
