Delhi’s Vigilance Minister Atishi Singh has submitted a comprehensive 650-page primary report to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on a complaint against Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar related to the Bamnoli land acquisition matter, according to official sources on Tuesday.
The complaint alleges that the chief secretary’s son was employed by a relative of an individual who received enhanced compensation for land acquired for a road project. “Atishi has submitted a 650-page report on the matter to Kejriwal. The report indicates that an undue gain of Rs 850 crore was made in the matter. The land, located near the Dwarka expressway, was purchased for only Rs 75 lakh in 2015,” a source stated.
There has been no immediate reaction from the chief secretary. Kejriwal had instructed Atishi to conduct an inquiry into the complaint. The initial award for the 19-acre land at Bamnoli, under acquisition by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), saw an increase from Rs 41 crore to Rs 353 crore in May of this year by the then district magistrate (South West) Hemant Kumar. Subsequently, Hemant Kumar was suspended by the Ministry of Home Affairs in connection with the matter.
In a press conference on Monday, Delhi government Divisional Commissioner Ashwani Kumar dismissed the allegations against Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar as baseless and part of “dirty politics.”