News APP

NewsApp (Free)

Read news as it happens
Download NewsApp

Available on  gplay

This article was first published 7 years ago
Rediff.com  » News » Tanker scam: ACB gives questionnaire to Sheila Dikshit

Tanker scam: ACB gives questionnaire to Sheila Dikshit

Source: PTI
August 28, 2016 21:47 IST
Get Rediff News in your Inbox:

Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was on Sunday ‘examined’ by the Anti-Corruption Branch in connection with her alleged involvement in the multi-crore rupees tanker scam besides being handed over a set of 18 written questions which she has to reply to within the next few days.

A team of ACB officials visited Dikshit’s residence in Nizamuddin area and examined her for around 15 minutes with regard to procurement of 385 water tankers by the Delhi Jal Board in 2012 when she as the Delhi Chief Minister headed the body.

A top ACB official said the agency is planning to question Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Water Resources Minister Kapil Mishra who had formed a fact finding committee to investigate the alleged scam last year based on whose report the probe agency had started its investigation.

Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party had accused Kejriwal and Mishra of delay in sending the report of the fact-finding committee to the ACB.

“A team of officials also examined her apart from handing her the questionnaire,” ACB chief Mukesh Meena said. There are allegations that the government lost revenue in excess of Rs 400 crore due to alleged financial bungling in procurement of the tankers.

An ACB official probing the case said Dikshit has been asked to reply to 18 written questions within the next two-three days.

Dikshit, who has been anointed Congress’ chief ministerial nominee for Uttar Pradesh assembly polls slated for early next year, questioned the timing of the probe and said she conveyed to the ACB that she cannot reply to questions immediately.

“I told the investigators that I cannot answer any one of them (questions) soon as decisions were taken about four years ago. I do not remember all the details. They said I can take time to reply to the questions,” she said.

Rejecting the allegations, Dikshit said all decisions regarding procurement of the tankers were taken by a board comprising a number of top bureaucrats, DJB board members, officials of the civic bodies and representative of opposition BJP. She also criticised the Aam Aadmi Party government for making ‘baseless allegations’.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government had in June last year constituted a fact-finding committee to go into alleged irregularities in procuring some 385 stainless steel water tankers by the DJB. The Delhi government in June this year sent a report of the fact finding committee to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung following which an FIR was registered in case.

The ACB had then said it would question Dikshit in connection with the allegations. Dikshit had all along been maintaining that there was no corruption in the procurement of tankers and that the allegations were ‘politically motivated’.

After ACB examined Dikshit, Water Resources Minister Mishra alleged that the probe agency’s visit to her residence was a ‘mere formality’ and it is under pressure to save the former chief minister.

Mishra also accused BJP of ‘shielding’ Dikshit and demanded that she be arrested in connection with the scam.

‘I am the complainant in the case. ACB had summoned me to its office and I was questioned for over four hours in presence of over a dozen officials. There was cross questioning and interrogation and I was made to sign a statement then and there only,’ Mishra said in a statement.

‘But, on the other hand, they did not call Dikshit but went to her place and did not conduct any interrogation. They stayed there for twenty minutes, had tea, handed over a list of questions and left,’ he added.

Mishra has been accusing BJP of ‘shielding’ Dikshit in the case.

“This visit is a mere formality. Four separte cases of corruption are pending against Dikshit and still this kind of fear to act against her. The BJP is shielding her and the ACB is under pressure to save her,” he added.

Get Rediff News in your Inbox:
Source: PTI© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
 
CHINESE CHALLENGE - 2022

CHINESE CHALLENGE