CM Kejriwal writes to LG, calls for Delhi Chief Secretary's sacking

New Delhi: Days after Delhi Vigilance Minister Atishi submitted to the Chief Minister a 670-page preliminary report on the alleged involvement of Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar in enhancing an “exorbitant compensation award, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sent the report to the Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, sources said on Saturday.

The report was submitted to Kejriwal on Thursday, which recommended Kumar's suspension and a CBI investigation into the matter.

What did the report allege

The reports submitted by the AAP leader accused the Chief Secretary of being instrumental in aiding illicit profits for a company linked to his son. The report alleges "a prima facie appearance of complicity” by the CS with District Magistrate (Southwest) Hemant Kumar and the owners of the land acquired.

Sources close to the chief secretary have claimed that his son is not a signatory to any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the company and the ILBS. They claimed that he is not at all connected with the company in question as a shareholder, director, partner, or employee.

The company in question refutes charges....

The Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), in a statement on Thursday, denied the allegations as "totally baseless and without merit."

"ILBS confirms that it did not issue any purchase order or make any payment to any Al software developer or company," said the ILBS statement.

It was alleged in the report that an MoU was signed between ILBS and the company of the Chief Secretary's son on January 24, 2023, that provided "a huge scope for profiteering to the company by providing it with joint intellectual property rights for any intellectual property developed through the project and 50 percent share of profits by both parties for any future commercialization of work."

"Prima facie, it appears that Naresh Kumar has acted in violation of the All India Services Conduct Rules and has used his position to enable a lucrative collaboration for his son's company at a loss to the public exchequer," the report alleged.

(with agency inputs)