CM Arvind Kejriwal relieves deputy secretary to join Centre

A day after chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s principal secretary Rajendra Kumar, his deputy secretary and three private persons were arrested by the CBI in over Rs 50 crore scam, the AAP government on Tuesday relieved CM’s bureaucrat Chetan B. Sanghi for taking up his new assignment as joint secretary in the Centre’s women and child development ministry.

Though the appointments committee of the Union Cabinet had on June 7 ordered the transfer of Mr Sanghi, the AAP dispensation had not relieved him for taking up the new assignment. On Tuesday, the AAP government issued two orders — one extending earned leave of Mr Sanghi from February 1 to July 4 and another directing he be relieved from immediate effect for taking up his Central posting.

Once said to be very close to Mr Kejriwal, Mr Sanghi’s relations with the AAP government became sour after he claimed that he was under pressure for naming a certain “VIP” in the Delhi District Cricket Association probe.

Mr Sanghi had been debarred from Central deputation after he had failed to join the ministry of women and child development in 2014. But his appointment was later revoked for the same post in the Union government.

A 1988-batch officer, Mr Sanghi, who was termed as a blue-eyed boy of the chief minister for almost a year, suddenly emerged as a villain in the Delhi administration setup. As things became difficult for him to continue with the city administration, he proceeded on long leave. The city administration had even cancelled his leave. For almost eight months, there was no word from the Centre about his new posting.

Finally, the appointments committee of the Union Cabinet approved Mr Sanghi’s appointment as joint secretary in the WCD ministry for a period of five years from the date of taking over the charge of the post or until further orders. Before proceeding on long leave, Mr Sanghi held important posts in several Delhi government departments, including urban development, PWD and vigilance. He headed a three-member panel that probed into the alleged financial irregularities in the DDCA s and later submitted its report to the Delhi government in November last year.

Based on recommendations of the Sanghi panel, the AAP government had in December last year set up a commission to investigate the alleged irregularities in the DDCA.

In a letter to the Union home secretary, Mr Sanghi had requested for Central deputation and closure of cases initiated against him by the ACB to probe all-eged irregularities in the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.