Kejriwal's kin moves court for transfer of plea against him

A Delhi court today issued notice on a plea by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's brother-in-law seeking transfer of a criminal complaint filed against him and the AAP chief in the alleged PWD scam to another court.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Satish Kumar Arora sought the response of the founder of the Roads Anti-Corruption Organisation (RACO), who filed the complaint against Kejriwal and his relative Surender Kumar Bansal.
The court also summoned the case record from the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Abhilash Malhotra, before whom the matter is pending, and listed the transfer application of Bansal for further hearing on March 16.

"Let the record of the file be called for further orders for March 16. Notice of the application be also issued to the non-applicant/complainant for the date and time fixed," it said.
Bansal sought transfer of the complaint from the court of magistrate Malhotra who has already directed the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police to file a status report on its enquiry into the matter.
He said the complaint was earlier allocated to the concerned magistrate as the complainant claimed that it pertained to the IP Estate police station. But now the matter is being enquired by police station EOW, Mandir Marg and the concerned magistrate has no jurisdiction over it and hence the case be transferred, his plea said.

It said under the CrPC, a magisterial court cannot pass directions to any police officer beyond its territorial jurisdiction.

General Secretary of RACO, Viplav Awasthy, said by filing such pleas, Bansal was trying to prolong the matter so that the issue of corruption does not arise in the upcoming MCD elections and the court should dismiss the transfer plea.
Meanwhile, the magisterial court dismissed RACO's plea seeking early hearing on its complaint which has been listed for March 8.
The EOW has filed a report before the magistrate seeking time to conclude its enquiry into allegations of irregularities in grant of contracts for roads and sewer lines in the city.

RACO's founder Rahul Sharma and its general secretary have filed the complaint in the court seeking direction to police to lodge an FIR against Kejriwal and Bansal, who is the proprietor of a construction firm, and a public servant for alleged corruption.
Advocate Kislay Pandey, who filed the plea on behalf of the complainant, has alleged "deep-rooted corruption" and said the documents showed no material was actually purchased for executing the projects.