Retired cop files corruption complaint against ACB chief

Chief of Delhi government’s Anti-Corruption Bureau Mukesh Kumar Meena has been accused of corruption in a complaint filed with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The complaint was filed on Tuesday by a retired Delhi Police inspector and he sought an FIR against the 1989-batch IPS officer. Kejriwal has asked the Vigilance Department to probe into the allegations.

Najafgarh-resident Jawahar Lal alleged that Meena ‘committed gross misconduct in conspiracy and collusion with some private firms’ when he was posted as the principal of Police Training College at outer Delhi’s Jharoda Kalan in May-July 2005.

The complaint states that it was done to procure curtains and curtain rods worth Rs 20 lakh, which was beyond Meena’s competence.

It is also alleged that Meena went ahead without obtaining administrative approval and expenditure sanction of the competent authority, keeping in view the amount involved.
There is no document on record on the basis of which the demand for the products was projected.

Instead of calling open or limited tenders, Meena is also accused of using fabricated quotations from three local dealers.

“On his directions, the quotations were processed and accepted despite 414 serviceable curtains being available in the stock of PTC. Records indicated that the quotations were obtained from a single source and in the similar handwriting as if all the quotations were made by one and not from three different suppliers which amounts to cheating and forgery,” Jawahar wrote in the complaint.

The curtains were allegedly not only procured at exorbitant prices, but also of inferior quality for the prices paid.

Three different sizes of curtains were purchased at the uniform rate of Rs 590 when the market value was reported to be around Rs 75 per metre.

The curtains purchased by Police Training School, Wazirabad were reported to be of inferior quality having market value of around Rs 50-60 per metre.

The curtain rods were purchased at an ‘unbelievable rate’ of Rs 180 per foot amounting to Rs 2.73 lakh for 1,521 fts, when PTS Wazirabad purchased at Rs 15-20 per ft.

“So high prices were paid dishonestly to obtain the pecuniary benefits by Meena and to cause loss to the state exchequer. Meena also illegally constituted a purchase committee for purchase of general store articles and other equipment required in the PTC,” Jawahar added.

It is alleged that Meena committed several criminal cognisable offences for which an FIR needs to be registered.

“Committing offences do not come in the ambit of discharge of official duties, therefore neither sanction under section 197 of the CrPC nor 140 of the DP Act is required,” Jawahar stated.

Jawahar highlighted that Meena also needs to be removed as the ACB chief for a fair and impartial investigation.