Delhi Scam: Jal Board and liquor are just the tip of the iceberg

Delhi Jal Board Scam: Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers are being brought into the spotlight one after another due to their corruption and lies. The Chief Minister of Delhi is frequently making headlines due to corruption charges related to the liquor scam and bribery. He seems to enjoy this attention, as he has been spending large amounts of taxpayers’ money on front page advertisements every year.

After the liquor scam and DTC Bus scam another scam has come to light. This 20 crores scam includes a company which is only on paper and the owner of the company is a car cleaner.

Delhi Jal Board Scam

This matter first came to light in 2019, when it was discovered that Rs. 20 crores had been collected from customers as water bill payments, but had not been credited to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) bank account. Instead, the funds had been deposited into a private bank account. Upon learning of the situation, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena instructed the Chief Secretary to identify the responsible officials from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the bank, and to file a criminal complaint against the private parties involved.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) after long investigation has uncovered new information related to the Delhi Jal Board Scam. The ACB stated that the firm hired by the bank to provide a payment gateway was only registered on paper and had named a car cleaner as its director. Meanwhile, the other firm had appointed Russian nationals as its directors.

Madhur Verma, the Chief of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, reported that an investigation had revealed that in 2012, Corporation Bank had appointed two companies, FreshPay IT Solutions and Arrum, to facilitate the e-payment of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) water bills. According to the investigation, these companies never existed.

According to sources, the agency found Arrum’s office at Connaught Place and FreshPay’s offices in Gurugram and Delhi locked. 4 to 5 people were appointed as directors in Arrum, while in FreshPay 14-15 people were appointed as directors, but neither company had any employees.

The head of the ACB further stated that, upon investigation, they discovered that Ratan Singh, who was claimed to be the director of Fresh Pay and Arrum, was in fact a car cleaner.

Corporation Bank documents revealed that Fresh Pay was involved in the bill payment collection of TPDDL and BSES electricity distributors. However, when asked, both companies denied this.

ACB has now decided to call upon bank officials and representatives from the Department of Jal Board (DJB) for questioning in order to investigate the scam more deeply in the case for alleged corruption.

Also Read: LG Vinay Saxena slaps 163 crore fine on Kejriwal’s AAP

Supremo of ‘Badlav ki Rajneeti’

In 2013, the Aam Aadmi Party came to power with much fanfare, promising to reform and transform the politics of India through their honesty and policies. However, it has become clear that Arvind Kejriwal has chosen to follow in the footsteps of the Congress party, without making any changes.

Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, has faced multiple criticisms including his alleged involvement in a liquor corruption scandal. Before that, another report revealed that 1,000 low-floor buses were procured by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) in a corrupt manner.

Also Read: ‘Kejriwal gave 19 crores to Congress leader’, AAP government once again indulges in exploiting taxpayers’ money

Tahir Hussain, an ex-AAP leader, has been charged for mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc,. In May, a Delhi court said: “He was not a mute spectator but was taking active part in the riots and instigating the other members of the unlawful assembly to teach a lesson to the persons belonging to other community.”

Additionally, several of Kejriwal’s ministers such as Satyendra Jain and Kailash Gehlot are already facing charges of money laundering and tax evasion. This is not the first time the Chief Minister has been accused of ignorance and lies and this latest scandal has only further damaged his reputation but still he thumps his chest in every other state about his Delhi Model.