CBI recovered Rs 27 lakh from the west Delhi residence of Amit Goyal, chartered account of Rajendra Kumar
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday conducted raids at seven places related to former Delhi principal secretary Rajendra Kumar, accused of accepting kickbacks and landing government contracts for proxy-owned companies.
The CBI said it has recovered Rs 27 lakh from the west Delhi residence of Amit Goyal, the chartered accountant of Mr Kumar who was arrested by CBI on Monday. The agency said it was the bribe paid to Mr Kumar for favoring certain companies to award government contracts between 2007 and 2014.
Four others arrested along with Mr Kumar including former assistant director of VAT department Tarun Sharma, Endeavour Systems Pvt Ltd directors Sandeep Kumar and Dinesh Gupta, were sent to CBI custody till July 10.
CBI in its raids also recovered a Microsoft Dynamix software package worth Rs 3 crore from the Trade and Tax Department office of the Delhi government. The agency claims that one of the accused Sandeep Kumar had admitted that despite Endeavor Systems being given the contract, the software was never used by the Delhi government.
Endeavor Systems Private limited was allegedly set up as a front company by Rajinder Kumar, and the contract was awarded during his tenure as a Commissioner in the Trade and Tax department.
CBI also raided three residential addresses of Dinesh Kumar, another director of the company and its Noida office, and also a publishing house in Agra.
Mr Kumar has denied any wrongdoing; his office in the Delhi government's headquarters was raided in December.
Mr Kejriwal and his ministers say the arrest is a shameless exploitation of the CBI by the Centre, which wants to "paralyse" the Delhi government in a long drawn out war over who really controls the capital.
When Mr Kumar allegedly scammed the government, Sheila Dikshit of the Congress was Chief Minister. Critics including those from Mr Kejriwal's government have asked why Congress leaders like her have not been questioned about the alleged graft given that it took place, according to investigators, on Ms Dikshit's watch.
Mr Kumar and Mr Kejriwal both studied at IITs and was also the latter's main aide during the Chief Minister's infamous 49-day term in 2014.