Delhi CM Kejriwal Sends Report To LG Recommending Chief Secretary's Dismissal: Report

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has sent a report by Atishi to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommending Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar’s immediate removal from the post and suspension

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sent a report by vigilance minister Atishi to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommending sacking of Chief Secretary in connection with an alleged land scam.

The 650-page preliminary report by Atishi has alleged Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar's involvement in enhancing an “exorbitant compensation award” for a parcel of land in Southwest Delhi’s Bamnoli village acquired for the Dwarka Expressway, to provide illicit profits to a company linked to Naresh Kumar's son. 

The report has now been sent to Delhi LG by Kejriwal recommending Kumar’s immediate removal from the post and suspension, reported ANI quoting sources from the Aam Aadmi Party. The CM has also given directions to Minister Atishi to send the report to CBI and ED, the report added. 

The report has also suggested that "connections and the chronology give the prima facie appearance of complicity" of Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar along with Southwest District Magistrate Hemant Kumar and landowners in the land acquisition on the Dwarka Expressway.

In her report, Atishi has also unveiled a conspiracy by senior officers of Delhi's Vigilance Department including Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to undervalue the scale of the scam as Rs 312 Crore when the actual compensation award would have resulted in an illicit gain of Rs 850 Crore to the beneficiaries, according to an ANI report. 

A PTI report stated that the price of original Bamnoli 19-acre land was allegedly raised to Rs 353 crore in May this year from Rs 41 crore by the then DM Hemant Kumar.

The vigilance minister has also recommended a probe by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in her report and also suggested disciplinary proceedings against Naresh Kumar and Ashwani Kumar (Divisional Commissioner), sources told ANI.

Sacking of Naresh Kumar and Ashwani Kumar from their respective posts has also been included as a recommendation in the preliminary report so that they do not influence the probe, sources said further.

Meanwhile, the allegations against the Delhi Chief Secretary were refuted as "false and baseless" by Ashwani Kumar. The Delhi Additional Chief Secretary said that the Chief Secretary's character is being assassinated.