CBI raids: Out of five instances of corruption, only Delhi Jal Board case allegedly committed

NEW DELHI: Out of five instances of alleged corruption detailed by CBI against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s principal secretary Rajendra Kumar, only one was committed after the IITian was handpicked by the AAP leader. This is a case where Kumar allegedly committed nepotism.

The case dates back to June 2014, when Kumar awarded a project regarding enterprise resources planning of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) worth Rs 2.46 crore to Endeavors Systems Private Limited, (ESPL) the private company allegedly owned by Kumar’s associates. CBI sources claimed that the DJB contract went in favour of Endeavors since “the eligibility criteria were designed to suit the company”.

Kejriwal was sworn in as Delhi chief minister for the first time in December 2013 and had demitted office in February 2014. The alleged contract was given in June 2014, when Delhi was under President’s rule. According to CBI, most contracts were awarded in favour of the private companies during the tenure of Sheila Dikshit as chief minister.

Top CBI sources also told ET that the alleged scam where Kumar and his associates have been named is pegged around Rs 50 crore. The alleged scam began in 2007, when Kumar came in contact with Dinesh Gupta and Sandip Kumar. Kumar first met Gupta in 2004 during his tenure as director (education) in the Delhi government, where the latter used to supply stationery to government run schools, said an official.

A senior CBI official alleged: “The three conspired to get the private company ESPL empanelled under a PSU, ICSIL. Kumar then used his position and allegedly directed the Delhi government department to deal with the PSU.” Once the PSU was awarded the contracts from the Delhi government, the orders were further awarded to Kumar’s empanelled company ESPL. A total of Rs 9.5 crore worth of contract was seized during the raids, he said.

In 2009, as chairman of Delhi Transco Limited, Kumar allegedly favoured an Rs 40.16 lakh contract to ESPL for development of comprehensive management information system, the agency alleged.

According to CBI, Kumar was also instrumental in awarding of a power project of Rs 2.43 crores to ESPL through ICSIL in November 2010, as secretary health during the tenure of the Congress government. The agency also identified another contract awarded towards the end of Congress government in 2013 when as secretary (IT) Kumar allegedly facilitated a tender of facility management system projects in trade and tax department worth Rs 45.50 lakh, without inviting any bidding, the CBI alleged.