Blow to AAP: Three FIRs registered in ‘PWD scam’

New Delhi: In a huge blow to the Kejriwal government, the Anti-Corruption Branch has registered three separate FIRs in the alleged PWD scam. One among them is against the company of Delhi chief minister’s late brother-in-law Surender Kumar Bansal, who passed away on Sunday night. The FIRs have been registered on the basis of a complaint filed by founder of Roads Anti-Corruption Organisation (RACO) Rahul  Sharma alleging irregularities in the grant of contracts for roads and sewer lines in Delhi in 2015-16.

“Three cases have been registered on a complaint by RACO. Since there are three separate companies, three separate FIRs under the sections of forgery, cheating and Prevention of Corruption Act have been registered,” ACB chief Mukesh Kumar Meena said. In the FIR registered on Tuesday, three companies have been named — Renu Constructions, owned by Bansal, Kamal Singh and Pawan Kumar.

Mr Sharma had alleged that Renu Construction Company, operated by Bansal, was awarded the contract to build a drainage in Northwest Delhi’s Bakoli village in April 2015. “It had, in 2015-16, obtained a contract for the works which were never completed, while the payments were cleared. Even the bid and its technical marks were manipulated,” the complaint, dated January 9, had alleged.

As per the reports, the documents, which allegedly contain the details of purchasing of material, were “concocted and forged”.

The report claims that this could incur over Rs 10 crore loss to the public exchequer. It also has been alleged that Mr Kejriwal’s brother-in-law’s company was being operated under the garb of a number of fake firms to secure government contracts, the report says. It also alleged that a few senior PWD officials had knowledge about the development.

Earlier in February, the Delhi police had filed its status report before a court in connection with its enquiry into a criminal complaint filed against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his brother-in-law and a government official in the alleged PWD scam.

The plea had also demanded that the role of the Delhi Chief Minister be investigated as he had allegedly caused substantive gains to Mr Bansal and others by using his influence, the report says. The complainant alleged contracts never got executed “whereas shockingly all the payments were cleared under the pressure from Mr Kejriwal”, the report said.