After CBI, now Central vigilance seeks probe into ‘Sheesh Mahal’

On October 14, 2024, incoming Rohini BJP MLA Vijender Gupta, who was the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly then, had filed a complaint with the CVC alleging illegal construction at the property.

On October 16, the CVC registered the complaint and forwarded it to the CPWD for further investigation. In December, a report based on Gupta’s complaint was submitted to the CVC by the Chief Vigilance Officer, CPWD.

Earlier this week, on Thursday, the CVC, Gupta said, apprised him that after examining the report, the CVO of CPWD has been “advised to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter”, assuring him that “suitable action based on the findings of the investigation report” will be taken.

As first reported by The Indian Express on January 5, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in the case detailing the audit of the house’s repair and renovation showed that from a preliminary estimate of Rs 7.91 crore in 2020, the total cost of the work at the property shot up to Rs 33.66 crore by the time it ended in 2022.

The CAG report, yet to be tabled in the Delhi Assembly, is said to have stated that of the Rs 33.66 crore in expenses, Rs 18.88 crore was spent on “items of superior specification, artistic, antique and ornamental items,” which were all executed by the PWD as “extra items.”

The CAG report, said to have annexures with lists of 198 civil “extra” components as well as 40 “extra” electrical components, is learnt to show how, from September 2020 to June 2022, five revised estimates were provided, the fifth showing there was an increase in scope of work such as artistic and ornamental work (Rs 5.07 crore), designer accessories and fittings (Rs 48.27 lakh) and marble work (Rs 1.97 crore) over and above the third provisional estimate given in October 2021.

Speaking at a public meeting in Rohini during the BJP’s campaign, PM Modi had slammed Kejriwal saying he (the PM) could have built a “Sheesh Mahal” but had instead ensured that four crore citizens had got houses in the last 10 years.

Kejriwal, who stepped down as Delhi Chief Minister after walking out on bail in a case related to the Delhi excise policy in September last year, vacated the house in October, 2024.

The AAP has consistently said that the issue was raked up by the BJP because it had nothing else to personally vilify Kejriwal over and that it is not Kejriwal’s “personal” asset since, as the CM’s residence, it will be allotted to others in the future.

Responding to the latest development, AAP chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar asked the BJP to “abandon its negative politics and focus on fulfilling promises made to the people of Delhi.”

Questioning why the BJP “barred media from inspecting the CM residence if there were alleged rule violations”, she sought to challenge the party to reveal whether claims of “a golden toilet, swimming pool, and mini bar were facts or just political theatrics.”

She demanded “an impartial probe” in the “extravagant expenditure on PM Modi’s ‘Rajmahal’ during COVID.”

Welcoming the CVC’s probe, Gupta, who lodged the complaint, said, “The Aam Aadmi Party and its supremo Arvind Kejriwal should not be under the illusion that they will get away from facing the law for their blatant corruption and misuse of public funds when they were in power.”

Gupta had alleged that Kejriwal had flouted building regulations to construct a “lavish mansion” covering eight acres and that other government properties on the adjacent Rajpur Road, which previously housed senior officers and judges in Type-V flats, as well as two bungalows, were demolished and merged into the new residence, violating ground coverage and floor area ratio (FAR) norms.

A year ago, in September 2023, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered a preliminary enquiry on the matter months after the Ministry of Home Affairs asked the CAG to conduct a special audit into alleged irregularities and violations related to the bungalow.