DCW recruitment scam: Manish Sisodia to appear before ACB today

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will appear before the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) today over charges he is facing into an alleged recruitment scam in Delhi Commission for Women (DCW).

According to reports, Sisodia had written a letter demanding an autonomous status for the women's panel, but an issue cropped up since only the Chief Minister has the authority to write that letter to the Lieutenant Governor.

"Sisodia will also be grilled and we will ask him on whose authority did he send the letter," ACB Chief MK Meena had said.

Stating that it was found prima facie after an enquiry that there were confirmed irregularities in the appointments in DCW, Meena asserted that the panel does not have the authority to make such decisions and that they were not even implementing a transparent manner in the case, like advertising about the job vacancies.

"The complaint stated that these people have done the recruitment against the procedures and they do not have the authority to hire people in that manner. Besides that, they are giving out salaries on an arbitrary basis and on their own call. There are also some people who got jobs because they were close to those within the panel," he said.

Emphasising that this was a complete misuse of authority and funds, the ACB chief said that a case has been filed against DCW Chief Swati Maliwal under the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC sections.

The DCW is under the ACB scanner for arbitrarily appointing 85 people in the past year.

Around 90 per cent of contractual staff of the Delhi Commission for Women, led by Maliwal, are members of her party.