AAP leader Atishi said the DJB case is a backup plan to arrest Arvind Kejriwal
Amid the legal tussle between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Enforcement Directorate (ED) over the multiple summonses in Delhi liquor policy case, the central agency has now asked the AAP leader to appear for questioning in another case. Mr Kejriwal has been summoned in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in Delhi Jal Board.
What is Delhi Jal Board
Set up in 1998, the Delhi Jal Board is responsible for distributing drinking water across the national capital. Also called DJB, the board treats water from sources such as Yamuna river and Bhakra Dam and canals near Delhi. It is also responsible for collecting and disposing sewage from areas under New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment.
What Is The Case
The ED case is based on an FIR registered by CBI. It alleges that DJB's former chief engineer, Jagdish Kumar Arora, had awarded a Rs 38-crore contract to NKG Infrastructure Limited. This contract was for the supply, installation and testing of electromagnetic flow meters. The FIR alleges that officials of DJB and NBCC illegally favoured NKG Infrastructure for a bribe. The ED arrested Mr Arora and a contractor, Anil Kumar Aggarwal, on January 31. NKG Infrastructure, it is alleged, got the bid on the basis of forged documents and that Mr Arora was aware of the fact that the company did not meet the technical eligibility.
What Is The AAP Link
The ED, which is investigating the money trail in the case, has alleged that Mr Arora received a bribe in cash and in bank accounts after the contract went to NKG Infrastructure. This money, it has alleged, was passed on to various parties, including "persons connected with AAP". "Bribe amounts were also passed on as election funds to AAP," an ED statement said. This is the second case in which the central agency has charged AAP with taking kickbacks. In the other case in which Mr Kejriwal has been summoned, the ED has alleged that kickbacks from the now-scrapped Delhi liquor excise policy were used by AAP for its Goa polls campaign.
How Has AAP Responded
AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi has said "nobody knows what this DJB case is about". "This seems to be a backup plan to arrest (Arvind) Kejriwal anyhow and stop him from campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls," she told the media. The Delhi Chief Minister has asked to appear before the agency on Monday for questioning in the DJB case.