ACB to question Kejriwal's ex-aide hired by DCW

The ACB is likely to again question Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal on September 29 along with child rights activist Raj Mangal Prasad, a former aide of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, over allegedly irregular appointments in the panel.

Prasad is one of the 85 contract employees appointed by the DCW on “inflated” salaries over the past one year, said an investigator.

Sources said questioning of a Deputy Director in Delhi government's Finance Department has also been planned to explain why he authorised DCW the financial autonomy that allowed the Commission to fix inflated salaries of the 85 employees. 

“Other officials in the Delhi government who approved the hiring of employees in DCW are also likely to be questioned in the coming days,” said an ACB investigator, amid strong indications that Maliwal and a few others could even be arrested if such arises.

Kejriwal’s name has appeared in the FIR registered in the case but ACB chief M K Meena claimed the mention was made while recording the allegations made against him by the complainant.

“The reference has been made while following the laid down procedures,” he said.He said the ACB’s preliminary inquiry into the veracity of the allegations did not indicate Kejriwal’s role in the case till now.

The ACB had taken up the probe on a complaint by former DCW chief Barkha Shukla Singh, who alleged that several AAP supporters were given plum posts in the women’s panel since Swati Maliwal was made its chief.

Maliwal was on Monday booked by the ACB on charges of alleged irregularities. She called the FIR an attempt to prevent her from doing good work. The registration of FIR by the ACB came a day after she was questioned for over two hours.

Talking of alleged lapses under Maliwal, former DCW chief Barkha Singh pointed to the hiring of the daughter of AAP leader H S Phoolka, Prabhsahay Kaur, who is drawing a monthly salary of Rs 35,000 in the Commission.

She also pointed out that former president of AAP women wing, Promila Gupta, is working in the Commission on a salary of Rs 25,000. Singh accused Kejriwal of rewarding his old aide Raj Mangal Prasad, a child rights activist, who is drawing a monthly salary of Rs 1,00,000.

“The said employees are enjoying lucrative monthly salaries from the exchequer of the NCT of Delhi, thereby causing misappropriation and misuse of government funds...” Singh said in her complaint to the ACB.