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Kapil Mishra will give account to anti-graft body May 11
Mishra will go to the ACB office around noon on May 11 to record his statement.
New Delhi: Ousted Delhi water minister Kapil Mishra will record a “detailed” statement with regard to the Rs 400-crore tanker scam in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) with the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on Thursday. ACB chief Mukesh Kumar Meena confirmed the development. Mr Mishra will go to the ACB office around noon on May 11 to record his statement.
The former Delhi water minister had on Monday submitted evidence to the ACB to back his allegation that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his “two men” had influenced and delayed the probe into the scam which dates back to Sheila Dikshit’s tenure as CM. Ms Dikshit was in August last year “examined” by the ACB in connection with her alleged involvement in the scam and was handed over a set of 18 written questions.
Till some time ago, Mr Mishra had been accusing the BJP of shielding Ms Dikshit and on Monday he alleged that the AAP government tried to protect her.
The Rs 400-crore water tanker scam pertains to alleged irregularities and corruption in hiring private water tankers to supply in areas where piped water is not supplied. The irregularities are said to have happened in 2012, when Congress’ Sheila Dikshit was the chief minister and also the chairperson of the DJB.
In June 2015, the Kejriwal-led AAP government set up a five-member fact-finding committee to probe the allegations. The committee submitted its report to Mr Kejriwal in August 2015, and highlighted corruption in the awarding of tenders.
It had recommended filing of a FIR against Ms Dikshit and a probe by the CBI and the ACB. The report was also sent to the then Delhi lieutenant-governor, Najeeb Jung, who had sent it to the ACB.
In August 2015, the then water minister Kapil Mishra is said to have written to Mr Kejriwal, saying that the report could create trouble for people in the AAP government also, apart from Sheila Dikshit.
On June 20, 2016, the ACB registered an FIR not only against Ms Dikshit but also against Kejriwal. The FIR against Kejriwal was registered on a complaint by BJP legislator Vijender Gupta “for causing delay in the probe and not cancelling the contract for water tankers”. On Saturady, Mr Kejriwal sacked Mr Mishra as water minister and DJB chairperson. The latter claimed he had asked Mr Kejriwal to take action in the case.
