No evidence against officers in Dwarka e-way land acquisition, L-G tells Kejriwal; govt says attempt to protect ‘favourite officers’

According to sources, Saxena also said in the note that it was clear that an investigation into the matter was started as soon as the matter came to the knowledge of the divisional commissioner and “without waiting for judicial intervention”.

The Indian Express had reported earlier this month that compensation against the acquisition of the 19-acre plot was increased from Rs 41.52 crore to Rs 353.79 crore in May by the now suspended District Magistrate of the area, Hemant Kumar. A complaint from a lawyer was sent to the Centre and the Delhi government, alleging that the son-in-law of one of the landowners is the director in a firm that employs the son of the Chief Secretary.

The Delhi government, meanwhile, called the L-G’s note a “brazen attempt on the part of the LG to protect his favourite officers, namely the Chief Secretary and Divisional Commissioner”. The government, in an official statement, also asked why the L-G was obstructing an enquiry against the officers when Atishi’s 670-page inquiry report was sent to the the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate for the investigation of a possible money laundering angle.

Sources said that in his note, the L-G also raised an issue with the matter being referred to the investigating agencies and said it was “beyond their competence as per law established”.

According to sources, Saxena also said that Atishi “herself recorded in her report… that the matter… is already under criminal investigation by the CBI” and the “proposal for CBI investigation” against the former DM Hemant Kumar was approved by him on “recommendations received from the Chief Secretary and the Divisional Commissioner themselves”.

He also questioned the motivation behind the report and said it was not to unearth the truth but to start a media trial and politicise the issue, L-G House officials said, adding that the L-G said in his note that the report “seems to be completely based on preconceived assumptions and presumption of the… Minister and could very well go on to hamper the ongoing investigation, instead of facilitating it”.

The Delhi government, however, said, “The Vigilance Minister’s report was prompted because of a whistleblower complaint and media reports highlighting CS’s role in the scam, yet the LG has chosen to launch a political attack on the government itself… The enquiry itself was compromised because the CS, being the Chief Vigilance Officer, presided over the Vigilance investigation while himself having close connections with the beneficiaries of this scam. This is a clear case of ‘conflict of interest’… Why is the LG so eager and impatient to give a clean chit to his favourite officers without an enquiry?” LG Secretariat officials, meanwhile, said,

“It is despicable and unfortunate that the Govt and AAP are resorting to politically targeting the L-G by indulging in abusive mud slinging. As far as sending the report to CBI/ED is concerned, they could very well have sent it as individuals as they claim they could have. However, they sent it in their capacity as CM and Minister, which is grossly illegal and unconstitutional.”