After being questioned for half a day, the CBI decided to place the two officers under arrest along with a close aide of Kumar, Ashok Kumar, and directors of a private firm, Sandeep Kumar and
Dinesh Gupta.
Calling it an “unprecedented (development) in 23 years,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said: “No Central government has stooped to such a low level”. He added: “The rate of transfers, people being shunted out... all this is being done to paralyse the Aam Aadmi Party government.”
He further added: “There is a conspiracy to paralyse the CM office.” Sisodia alleged that the Centre was adopting “such tactics” as the AAP is “going to win” Assembly polls in Punjab, Goa and garner massive support in Gujarat.
“Allegations are related to bribery and abuse of position against them, further probe is underway,” CBI spokesperson R K Gaur told media. CBI says that there is a strong evidence of quid pro quo against Rajender Kumar. All the five accused will be produced in Delhi’s Patiala House court on Tuesday.
Rajender Kumar has been accused of setting up various companies to provide work contracts without tenders at a huge loss to the Delhi government. Sources in the agency say the scam dates back to 2006, when Rajender Kumar started a front company, Endeavours Systems Private Ltd, to provide IT solutions and software.
The CBI had on December 14, 2015 registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Rajender Kumar for allegedly abusing his official position in awarding contracts from the city government to private firm Endeavour Systems Private Limited.
Six others were also named in the FIR by the CBI on a reference by the Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi government. The others booked in the case include two former managing directors of Intelligent Communication System India Limited (ICSIL) A K Duggal and G K Nanda, the present managing director of ICSIL R S Kaushik and the two arrested directors of Endeavour Systems Private Limited.
According to the FIR, Rajender Kumar promoted a company, Endeavour System Private Limited from 2007, by allegedly misusing his official position and facilitated tenders worth Rs 9.5 crore to it.
The CBI had registered a case alleging that the officer had abused his official position by “favouring a particular firm in the last few years in getting tenders of the Delhi government departments”.
The charges pressed by the CBI are under Sections 120-B of IPC (criminal conspiracy), and 13(2), 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Criminal conspiracy, criminal misconduct etc) for allegedly favouring Endeavour Systems Private Limited — in bagging five contracts.
The CBI alleged that the accused persons had entered into a criminal conspiracy and caused a loss of Rs 12 crore to the Delhi government in award of contracts between 2007 and 2015, and claimed that the officials had taken “undue benefit” of over Rs three crore while awarding the contract.