Probe going on in DCW recruitment case: ACB to court

The Anti-Corruption Branch today told a special court that further probe in a case involving Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal for alleged irregularities in the recruitment process is going on.
The investigating officer (IO) said further investigation, as directed by the court earlier, was underway and sought time to complete the probe.
Special Judge Hemani Malhotra granted time to the probe agency and fixed the matter for May 5 for further hearing.
Maliwal, who was earlier granted bail by the court in the matter, was also present at the hearing and sought copies of deficient documents supplied with the charge sheet.

The court also directed the IO to provide copies of documents to the AAP leader.
Maliwal was summoned as accused by the court on January 18 after taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by ACB.

The court, however, had said the probe has not identified Maliwal's associates with whose connivance "illegal practices were adopted" and directed the police to probe their role and file supplementary charge sheet against them.
The charge sheet was filed by ACB on December 21, 2016 against Maliwal in connection with alleged irregularities in appointment of AAP workers in DCW.
The ACB had taken up the probe on a complaint by former DCW chief Barkha Shukla Singh, who had alleged that several AAP supporters were given plum posts in the women's panel.

Singh, an ex--MLA, had filed the complaint against Maliwal and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on August 11, 2016, alleging that many illegal practices were adopted by them to financially benefit aides and associates of Aam Aadmi Party at the cost of public exchequer.
A case was lodged against Maliwal on September 19 last year for alleged offences of cheating and criminal breach of trust by public servant under IPC and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.
ACB had said during probe, it was found that Maliwal, in connivance with others has allegedly abused her official position and deliberately ignored the procedure laid down rules to employ associates or AAP workers beyond the authorised sanctioned strength of 26 posts, causing unauthorised benefits to them at the cost of public exchequer.

It was also found during the investigation that the appointments were made without inviting any applications by way of publication or constituting a selection board.
According to the prosecution, the probe revealed that the remuneration amount was hiked in a whimsical manner thereby granting undue pecuniary benefits to the close associates of Maliwal and those connected to AAP.