ACB probes graft charges against Delhi home secretary Rajendra Kumar

NEW DELHI: In an unprecedented move, the anti-corruption branch ( ACB) has initiated a probe against Delhi home secretary Rajendra Kumar, after ousted bureaucrat Ashish Joshi moved the city's anti-graft body leveling allegations of corruption against the bureaucrat.

The action is likely to trigger another spat between the lieutenant governor and Kejriwal government, as Kumar is a Delhi government appointee who was named to the post amid controversy.

Joshi, who was earlier removed from the Delhi Dialogue Commission, has alleged that IT and SAP-related works worth around Rs 50 crore were awarded without tender to a firm at Kumar's behest between 2002 and 2005, causing loss to the exchequer. Kumar is learnt to have described the allegations as baseless.

In his complaint, Joshi has alleged that Kumar had formed benami companies to allot government work and also posted his relatives as directors in several of them.

Kumar was director of education from May 10, 2002 to May 20, 2005, the complaint points out. He was later posted to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In 2007, he returned to the post of secretary IT in the government of NCT.

TOI tried to get Kumar's version but failed to contact him. The government has defended the bureaucrat and said the allegations had no basis.

"We have received the complaint. Action will be taken as per law. Details cannot be shared at the moment," ACB chief M K Meena told TOI. ACB officials said they had been asked to get the relevant records of the period.

Joshi claims that his knowledge of Kumar's "practices" led to his abrupt repatriation from Delhi government.

"During the course of implementation of e-governance initiatives in the Delhi urban shelter improvement board as chief digitization officer, I learnt about the corrupt practices adopted by Rajendra Kumar related to IT. I was later abruptly repatriated by Delhi government in violation of DoPT orders of 2010. I subsequently filed police complaints against Kumar at the IP estate police station. The humiliation meted out to me was not liked by many and sources have provided me the details of the corrupt practices."