PWD scam: HC asks ACB to file status report of probe

The Delhi High Court today asked the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) to file a status report on its probe into a complaint against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others in alleged irregularities in grant of contracts for roads and sewer lines.
Justice S P Garg sought the report from the agency on a plea seeking transfer of the investigaton from the ACB to CBI and listed the matter for further hearing on April 19.
The plea filed by one Rahul Sharma, the founder of NGO Roads Anti-Corruption Organisation, alleged that the state was wilfully negligent in this matter and the methodology adopted by ACB in the probe was illegal.

"Though the information lodged by Sharma was disclosing commission of cognisable offence and also detailing the role of Arvind Kejriwal (chief minister) in the present case, despite that the state deliberately excluded his name from the FIR and violated the provisions of CrPC," the petition filed through advocate Kislay Pandey said.
The matter is pending before a trial court which is hearing Sharma's complaint seeking a direction to the police to lodge an FIR against Kejriwal, his brother-in-law Surender Bansal, proprietor of a construction firm, and a public servant for alleged irregularities in the grant of contracts for roads and sewer lines in Delhi. Bansal died in May last year.

During pendency of the complaint, the ACB had registered three FIRs on its own on May 8 last year regarding alleged irregularities in granting the contracts.
A magisterial court had earlier directed the ACB to assess the threat perception regarding Sharma again after he submitted that two unidentified motorcycle-borne persons fired gun shots at him when he was travelling in his car along with a cousin.
In his complaint, Sharma has alleged "deep-rooted corruption" in the road and sewer line projects, claiming that documents showing purchase of material were "concocted and forged" and a loss of over Rs 10 crore had been caused to the public exchequer.