On Tuesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a raid on Bibhav Kumar, the personal secretary of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and others in connection with the money laundering case related to the embezzling of money from Delhi Jal Board (DJB), according to the official sources.
About the case
The money laundering case is linked to the alleged irregularities in the tendering process of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The central agency investigated the irregularities that occurred during the DJB’s tendering process based on FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in two different matters, that contain bribery in DJB.
Moreover, it was also alleged that the company was awarded an illegal contract of Rs 38 cr, despite the company did not meet the technical eligibility criteria, and obtained the bid by submitting forged or fake documents.
ED launch Probe in Two different matters
The ED is investigating the DJB by probing two separate matters. In the first matter, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a corruption case in 2022, that alleges the officials of DJB gave ‘undue advantage’ to NKG Infrastructure Limited while awarding the tender for installation, supply, testing, and commissioning of electromagnetic flow meters involving collusion with the NBCC officials, which the ED suspects the money laundering is linked.
Meanwhile, in the second matter, the ED launched a money laundering probe on the FIR (first information report) filed by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in November 2022, in which the DJB was awarded a tender for setting up automobile bill payment collection machines at (Kiosks) different locations, on which the probe agency started the raid over the case.
ED raids the Premises
The ED conducted the raid on 12 different locations associated with the officials of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC), and others in connection with the irregularities with the contract, in Delhi NCR including AAP leaders such as Kejriwal’s secretary Bibhav Kumar, Rajya Sabha MP ND Gupta, and former DJB member Salabh Kumar.
Besides this, the probe agency arrested the contractor of DJB, Anil Kumar Aggarwal, and Chief Engineer Jagdish Kumar Arora on January 31, 2024. They were arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002 for their alleged involvement in irregularities in the tendering process, where Aggarwal is alleged to have transferred a bribe of Rs 3 cr to Arora through cash and bank accounts.
About Delhi Jal Board
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is a statuary body, that’s responsible for the supply of potable water and the collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater in Delhi. It was established in 1998, that also manages the stormwater drainage system in Delhi. However, currently, the ED is investigating the irregularities in DJB’s tender, leading to raids and arrests, but no charges have been filed yet, as the inquiry is ongoing.
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