CNG scam: ACB questions Principal Secretary

New Delhi: The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on Wednesday questioned senior bureaucrat Rajendra Kumar in connection with alleged irregularities in conducting fitness tests for commercial vehicles.

ACB chief M K Meena confirmed that the senior bureaucrat was questioned, but did not disclose any details.

According to ACB sources, the queries mostly revolved around action taken by Kumar after the anti-corruption bureau submitted a report in 2013 in connection with the alleged irregularities, ACB sources said.

In 2013, Kumar, who is now Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, was the transport commissioner.

When asked about the nature of queries put forth to Kumar by the ACB, the Delhi Government did not react.

In June this year, ACB had reopened the alleged 2002 CNG fitness scam of Rs 100 crore in which three top officials of Sheila Dikshit government were under scanner and a case was registered by the anti-graft unit in 2012.

The sources claimed that the probe was stalled due to inability to get permission to question the officials.

On September 3, the ACB filed a charge sheet in a court in connection with the scam, in which several persons were arrested in 2013 for allegedly siphoning off crores of rupees in conducting fitness tests of commercial vehicles in the national capital in connivance with the transport department.

The ACB had registered a case on the basis of a complaint alleging that the contract for lane test of commercial vehicles before grant of fitness certificates was granted by the Delhi government to ESP India without inviting any tender in 2002 and necessary tests were not being conducted by the company.