NEW DELHI: The Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi government has sent a questionnaire to former chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Sunday for her alleged involvement in the Rs 400 crore water tanker scam case. The ACB led by Special Commissioner of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena had booked Dikshit and AAP leader and state water minister Kapil Mishra in the case for their alleged role in the scam.
A team of ACB officials reached at the residence of Dikshit and in Nizamuddin and gave the questionnaire on the scam. “We have examined Sheila Dikshit and have asked 18 questions,” Meena said.
The ACB is expecting reply to the queries within the next few days. We have asked her to reply to the questions within next two-three days," said a senior ACB official. However, Dikshit told the ACB team that she would not be able to reply to the questions immediately and that she needed more time.
“We have asked that why a private company was favoured when there were other companies offering water tankers at lower rates,” said the official. He
Sources said that the investigation is going on into the case and his team might again call Kapil Mishra for further questioning. Last month, ACB had Mishra for two hours related to the tanker scam case during which he remained “non-cooperative” to the investigators. The official said that Kapil Mishra answers were “not satisfactory” so he will be called again.
In the meantime, Mishra alleged that the ACB’s visit to Dikshit's residence is a “mere formality” and the ACB 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 multi-crore 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 on 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.
The scam came to light after the Citizen’s Front for Water Democracy, led by S A Naqvi, filed a complaint with the government alleging that the purchase of the steel water tankers had caused a loss of Rs 400 crore to the exchequer. The complaint gave a detailed account on how tenders for their purchase were floated five times and finally the work was awarded in violation of the rules.
On the basis of the complaint, the government had set up a fact finding committee of five auditors – J C Atal, Gauri Shankar, Gopal Krishnan, Ashok Kumar and Mohd. Idris — to look into the matter. The committee, in its report, has concluded that Dikshit and other DJB board members had consistently bypassed laws and rules to cause a loss of almost Rs 400 crore to the state exchequer.
Mishra complained against Dikshit on June 13 regarding alleged irregularities in the hiring of 385 stainless steel water tankers by the Delhi Jal Board in 2012. On June 20, the ACB registered an FIR not only against Dikshit government but also against Kejriwal governmnet.
The FIR against Kejriwal was registered on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Vijender Gupta “for causing delay in the probe and not cancelling the contract for water tankers”.