Delhi: Maliwal made illegal appointments, says ACB

Special Commissioner of Police (ACB) M K Meena said, “We have filed a chargesheet against Maliwal as she has made illegal appointments. They allegedly favoured AAP workers. DCW violated several rules. Whoever has done wrong will be booked but so far we have only chargesheeted Maliwal for gross violation of rules.”

The ACB chargesheet includes a list of 20 people appointed to the DCW, who were “connected to the AAP”. The list includes 11 allegedly full-time AAP workers and even an AAP 2014 Lok Sabha candidate. The remaining names on the list are those related to AAP leaders or associated to the party.

The chargesheet also includes statements by Maliwal as well as Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Sources in the ACB said some statements were annexed as they were “contradictory in nature” and “helped establish their case”.

The ACB had registered an FIR following a complaint by former DCW chief and Congress leader Barkha Shukla Singh, who alleged that several AAP supporters were given plum posts in the women’s panel. According to the chargesheet, salaries of such appointments allegedly range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

Singh, in her complaint, listed the names of 85 people who, she claimed, got jobs “without requisite credentials”. The FIR was registered against Maliwal on September 20 and the ACB.

Sources in the ACB told The Indian Express that based on questioning of DCW employees, ACB found due procedure was “not followed” in 91 appointments. “The investigation officer has verified the profile of 35 persons and come to know that they all got a job without any interview… no advertisement was issued. They all got a joining letter signed by Maliwal,” ACB sources claimed.

The ACB alleged that after scrutinising salary slips, it came to light that some of them, in the first month, got Rs 25,000, while after two months, they got Rs 50,000. “Out of 91 appointments made by Maliwal, some of them are her associates, while some are AAP party workers,” sources claimed.

The chargesheet was filed before special ACB judge at Tis Hazari Court against Maliwal for alleged offences under Section 13 of Prevention of Corruption Act IPC and sections 409 and 120B.