‘Office broken into at behest of Saurabh Bharadwaj, delicate info photocopied or destroyed’: Vigilance officer probing corruption cases in direction of AAP, Arvind Kejriwal

Special Secretary Vigilance YVVJ Rajasekhar, who was divested of his duties by Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj remaining week, wrote a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch and L-G office. The letter that inside the wee hours of the evening time, his office was broken into and delicate info related to the excise protection probe, renovation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence and other people referred to central investigation firms was photocopied. Room no. 403, Special Secretary (Vigilance) at Delhi Sectt, was broken into on the intervening evening time of fifteenth and sixteenth May at 3:00 AM. The letter moreover expressed apprehensions that his office would possibly want been bugged.

The letter, YVVJ Rajashekhar says is in continuation of his earlier report which acknowledged how the Minister (Vigilance), Saurabh Bharadwaj, had instructed Assistant Directors to not submit the data related to the corruption cases to the vigilance officer.

“When these instructions of Hon’ble Minister were received at 11.30 A.M. on 15.05.2023, there are about 76 files in the Confidential Section of the
undersigned and the same were sent to the Secretary (Vigilance) according to the instructions of the Hon’ble Minister (Vigilance) without examining these 76 files, merely recording the instructions of the Hon’ble Minister where he directed the undersigned not examine the files”, the letter says.

He says that it’s not the norm to change info to the Minister beneath any circumstances due to the ‘principle of arms length’, which principally signifies that the minister ought to protect distance from the investigation by the vigilance officer to guarantee that fairness is maintained.

However, the principle seems to have been clearly breached.

The Vigilance officer talked about that Buniyad Singh, Assistant Director (Vigilance) referred to as him up at 9:14 PM on fifteenth May and talked about that officers had been instructed to open the Vigilance officer’s room to get out some info. On the choice, Rajashekhar says he strongly objected to these instructions given by Saurabh Bharadwaj and protested in direction of the data being taken away.

“However, it is understood from a preliminary enquiry that Sh. Manish (MTS) has opened the room of the undersigned and allegedly photocopied all the records i.e from 15th May 2023 night to 16th May 2023 til 3:00 AM. The undersigned is not sure whether any record/file was taken away or otherwise tampered with it or photocopied. It is a serious lapse in the present scenario”, the letter says.

The info he says had been in his office are following:

a) Proposal file of CBI for in accordance sanction beneath half 17 A of PoC Act 1998 in excise points and protection.

b) Tender info and phrases and circumstances of 6 Flag Staff, Civil Lines

c) Subsequent alterations and additions file of 6 Flag Staff, Civil Lines

d) Measurement books regarding funds made by PWD with respect to 6 Flag Staff Invoices submitted by the Contractors.

e) Notice inviting tenders info of 6 Flag Staff, Civil Lines.

f) Deviation info of 6 Flag Staff, Civil Lines.

g) Revised further merchandise for superior specs of 6 Flagstaff, Civil Lines.

h) Photo of individuals which have supervised the event of 6 Flag Staff, Civil traces.

i) “Talk to A.K. File” (DIP)

j) DIP points regarding Supreme Court Judgement in widespread set off case Judgement and illegal funds of Bills.

okay) Certain info referring to departments, the place the matter was referred to Central investigating firms beneath the extant provisions/pointers.

l) Other quite a few info/paperwork related to prosecution sanctions of officers of Excise Department and so forth. With reference to Excise Policy.

“The undersigned is apprehensive that the records will be destroyed or might have been destroyed in due course of time”, the letter further talked about. Rajashekhar talked about that he had instructed the entire Vigilance Directors to not modify to such instructions since they aren’t purported to take verbal orders from the minister besides they’re in a declared state of emergency. Quoting the regulation inside the letter, the officer says that besides the instructions are provided in writing, the officers of the vigilance division often will not be supposed to supply any info/paperwork to the minister to maintain up the objectivity of the investigation.

“I have serious apprehension that our rooms might have been bugged and there is every likelihood of breach of secrecy, tempering of records, fabrication of records etc. I request the Senior Officers for appropriate action at the earliest. The undersigned in the meanwhile strongly instructing the Assistant Director (Care Taking) and Delhi Police In charge Inspector of Delhi Sectt. to ensure that the room of the undersigned and the Confidential Section where systems are in place are not touched or given excess to anyone without the authorisation of the undersigned”, the letter ends by saying.

The Delhi Government has talked about that though the officer in question was divested of his duties on account of there have been costs of corruption in direction of him, they questioned Rajashekhar’s “interest” in holding some info with him. The authorities moreover talked about that no matter this, the prices of a break-in may very well be completely investigated, in response to an Indian Express report.

In its assertion, the Delhi authorities talked about, “Several complaints have been received against him… that he demands protection money. Work was officially withdrawn from him… on May 13. If work has been officially withdrawn from him… how is he still in possession of all files? When his work is assigned to other officers, the office procedure demands that he should have officially handed over all files to the new officers. What is his interest in keeping some files despite him being removed? Regarding his allegation that someone tried to break into his office at night, the government will get it thoroughly investigated whether it is true or not. If true, strict action will be taken.”

AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had ‘divested’ the Vigilance Officer of all his duties

AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had divested Special Secretary Vigilance YVVJ Rajasekhar, who was investigated the Liquor rip-off and the corruption case of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal spending crores of taxpayers’ money to assemble his private mansion, of all his duties claiming that there have been allegations of corruption and extortion in direction of the officer.

In a observe dated May 13, Bharadwaj talked about, “There are complaints that YVVJ Rajasekhar is running an extortion racket and demanding protection money. This allegation is quite serious, which needs to be examined… All work assigned to YVVJ Rajasekhar is hereby withdrawn.”

Bharadwaj has directed Vigilance division to distribute cases and works being probed by Rajasekhar amongst further directors (ADs) stating that “ADs will directly report to Secretary (Vigilance).” The order further be taught: “The ADs should directly put up files to Secretary (Vigilance).”

Officials close to Rajasekhar, nonetheless, talked about he had been cleared by investigating firms inside the cases filed in direction of him. “He is being targeted because he has been posted in enforcement and vigilance departments in different government organisations for the last decade and has taken action against several officials,” the official claimed, in response to an Indian Express report.

When Rajashekhar was divested of his duties, he had talked about that the switch by the AAP authorities was illegal.

According to evaluations, in his reply, which has moreover been marked to Principal Secretary, L-G, and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Rajasekhar talked about “illegally transferring” him from the division is “nothing but subverting the directions of apex court, according to which the officers can be transferred only through deliberations of Civil Services Board”. The letter be taught: “The undersigned (Rajasekhar) is being prevented from performing duties and I apprehend serious threat and diversions of records pertaining to sensitive matters like excise matter, 6, Flagstaff Road, Civil Lines, DIP (Department of Information and Publicity)… It is requested that this matter may be brought to notice of High Court to stay the order issued by minister (Vigilance).” Reportedly, report on CM house’s renovation has been prepared and was about to be despatched to the L-G.

The cases that YVVJ Rajasekhar was probing in direction of the AAP authorities

Rajasekhar was probing quite a lot of completely different cases, along with excise division chargesheets and their sanctions beneath quite a few provisions of the POC (Prevention of Corruption) Act, FBU case pertaining to the organising of a separate intelligence unit, allegations of overspending on political commercials, and costs of useful treatment to AAP staff in hiring venues for Mohalla Clinics. He was moreover probing the liquor rip-off and Arvind Kejriwal spending taxpayers’ money on setting up his palatial mansion.