Arvind Kejriwal, Sheila Dikshit may be grilled in water tanker 'scam' as ACB files FIR; Delhi CM hits out at PM Modi

Delhi: In a fresh trouble for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former CM Sheila Dikshit, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday filed a First Information Report (FIR) in the Rs 400 crores water tanker scam.

The FIR was registered under sections of Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC.

Providing more details related to the scam, which allegedly took place during Sheila Dikshit’s tenure, ACB Chief MK Meena today said that both Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and the former CM can be questioned as part of the ongoing probe.

“FIR is against both the previous Delhi government and the present one, rest let’s see what comes up during the investigation,” said ACB Chief MK Meena.   

Meena further said, "We got a complain from Kapil Mishra that they got an inquiry conducted and found out that the scam was during Sheila Dikshit govt. Vijender Gupta then said that in spite of this report no action was taken to cancel contract, thats why case registered."

Meanwhile, Kejriwal hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making his rivalry ‘personal.’

Reacting to the news that the ACB had filed an FIR in the water tanker scam, Kejriwal tweeted, “Modi ji you did not file an FIR against (Robert) Vadra. You didn’t file FIR against Sonia (Gandhi). You didn’t file FIR in any scams which you had used to become the prime minister.”

मोदी जी, आपने वाड्रा के खिलाफ FIR नहीं की, सोनिया के खिलाफ FIR नहीं की, किसी घोटाले में FIR नहीं की, जिनका जिक्र कर कर के आप PM बने?(1/3) — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 20, 2016

Kejriwal added that he welcomed the filing of an FIR gainst him in the water tanker scam.

He said, “All probe agencies are under you. You’ve left CBI, police and the ACB after me. You were responsible for CBI raids on me but you didn’t find anything. Now I welcome your FIR. I’m glad you’ve finally accepted that your fight is directly with me.”

The Delhi chief minister further tweeted saying that he wasn’t scared of Modi’s ‘CBI and ACB.’

सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना, अब हमारे दिल में है
देखना है ज़ोर कितना बाज़ुए कातिल में है

मोदी जी, आपकी CBI, ACB वगैरा से हम नहीं डरते। — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 20, 2016

Last week, Lt Governor Najeeb Jung forwarded a complaint by AAP against Dikshit to the ACB, over her alleged role in the water tanker scam. 

However, Dikshit denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the allegations are “politically motivated”.

Dikshit, last week, claimed that the decision to procure the water tanker was not “hers alone”. She had also said that a board comprising the Delhi Jal Board CEO, engineers and experts took the decision to procure them.

“One BJP MLA and two municipal councillors were also part of the decision-making process,” she had said.

The Aam Aadmi Party government in June 2015 had constituted a fact-finding committee to probe the irregularities in hiring some 385 stainless steel water tankers by the Delhi Jal Board in 2012, during Sheila Dikshit's rule. 

The five-member committee was formed by Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra. 

Its report submitted to Kejriwal in August 2015 highlights alleged corruption of Rs 400 crore in the process of awarding tenders for hiring water tankers.

It had also recommended FIR against Congress leader Sheila Dikshit by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). 

Finally, almost a year later, last week, the report was sent to the Prime Minister and Lt Governor by the AAP government.