Directorate of Vigilance terminates services of Arvind Kejriwal's private secretary Bibhav Kumar

Special Secretary Vigilance YVVJ Rajshekhar passed the order citing a 2007 case pending against Kumar.

New Delhi: Delhi government’s Department of Vigilance has sacked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Private Secretary Bibhav Kumar, citing a 19-year-old case of obstructing and threatening a public servant.

Kumar, a close aide who has been with Kejriwal since his NGO days, has been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case linked to the Delhi liquor policy scam two days ago.

The Vigilance Department has cited a union government regulation that the character and antecedent verification of the personal staff of ministers should be verified before engaging non-government officials.

The charges against Kumar are “grave in nature, including the charge of assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, for which the trial against Kumar is at the stage of evidence and therefore, Kumar is not clear from the vigilance angle”, the order said.

The condition set by the General Administration Department that his appointment is subject to the final outcome of his case was “directly in conflict” regulations, it said.

The case against Kumar and another person was filed by a Noida Development Authority official on 1 June, 2007. 

“The prescribed procedure and rules for the said engagement of Sh Bibhav Kumar were not scrupulously followed, so, such engagement is illegal and void-ab-initio,” said the order issued on Wednesday. His services were being terminated with immediate effect.

Kumar was issued a show-cause notice in November last year by the directorate, which had observed that his engagement on the post of private secretary to the Delhi chief minister was "illegal", 

AAP sources said they will challenge the order even as the BJP claimed that it was necessary to remove Kumar from the post as his appointment was "illegal" and he was under the scanner of agencies.

Delhi BJP vice-president Kapil Mishra said his removal will now pave the way for an impartial investigation in the matter while Delhi BJP secretary Harish Khurana said it was an administrative decision to remove Kumar since his appointment was not in accordance with the rules.