ACB treating Dikshit with kid gloves, claims Mishra

Water Minister Kapil Mishra on Wednesday slammed the ACB for going soft against former chief minister Sheila Dikshit in the water meter purchase scam and questioned the BJP’s silence over alleged corruption cases against her.

The ACB’s special treatment for Dikshit raises questions if she is an “aunt” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.

Alleging that Anti-Corruption Branch chief Mukesh Meena seems ignorant of law and working under a senior BJP leader’s influence to shield Dikshit, Mishra said while calling the Congress leader for questioning he has given her the choice of time and date of her choice next month.

Meena retorted by telling Mishra to cooperate with investigators by giving straight answer rather than teach the ACB how to follow the protocol in complaint cases.
Mishra told reporters: “I was the complainant in the case and while summoning me the

ACB gave be the time and date for reaching its office. In the case of Dikshit, who is an accused, the ACB is asking her to select her own time and date of convenience to face questions.”

Dikshit, however, denied receiving any notice from the ACB yet. “I will react only after I see the notice or the language used in it,” said Dikshit, who has all along denied any wrongdoing and claimed that all decisions in the DJB were taken with consensus and involvement of BJP leaders.

Mishra alleged special treatment for Dikshit from ACB investigators. “I was issued a notice under Section 160 of the CrPC and was ordered to report at exact address, date, time and venue to appear in front of an ACB Investigation Officer. There is no mention of the provisions under which the notice was sent to Dikshit,” said Mishra, adding that Meena should resign if he does not even know who to send a notice to accused.

Double standards

The double standards of Modi to save corrupt members of the Congress and arrest honest anti-corruption crusaders of the AAP are clear to this nation, said Mishra, adding that a senior BJP leader was holding meetings to advise party leaders not to highlight Dikshit’s name in the scam.

Meena warned Mishra against making a mockery of the ACB and dodging investigators.
 “We follow the protocol and treat every case on merit. It is not Mishra’s work to investigate or question. Very soon we are going to question him again as he is not cooperating,” said Meena.

Mishra also shared details of the Rs 33 crore water meter purchase scam of 2010 in which the Delhi Jal Board headed by Dikshit. The scam, according to Mishra, involved favouring  a firm for purchasing  3.5 lakh water meters at inflated price with the alleged intention of causing loss to the exchequer.

The Water Minister said the ACB has decided to issue notice to Dikshit two years and five months after the FIR was filed by the AAP government during its first stint of 49 days.
The BJP is trying to use Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and the ACB to give Dikshit a clean chit.

Jung and the ACB have been sitting on four FIRs and investigative reports against Dikshit for two years and five months. “This is a disgrace and more importantly an illegality that necessitates an immediate FIR against them,” said Mishra.