The CBI on Tuesday said it raided 14 places in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, including the house of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's secretary, after obtaining warrants from a court but termed as baseless the reports that the chief minister's office was among these.
The CBI on Monday registered a case against Rajendra Kumar, principal secretary to the chief minister, on the allegation of abusing his official position in awarding contracts from the city government to a private firm.
Six others were also named in the First Information Report (FIR) lodged by the CBI on a reference by the Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi government in July.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) spokesperson Devpreet Singh said the agency on Tuesday raided 14 locations in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh after obtaining warrants from a competent court.
She said reports from certain quarters regarding a search at Kejriwal's office were baseless.
"The CBI emphatically denies having searched the office of the Delhi chief minister. False propaganda should not be used to impede our investigation," the spokesperson said.
She said the CBI also confirmed the allegations through its own sources before filing a case on charges of criminal conspiracy and under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The others booked in the case include two then managing directors of Intelligent Communication System India Limited (ICSIL) A.K. Duggal and G.K. Nanda, present managing director of ICSIL R.S. Kaushik and two directors of Endeavour Systems Private Limited Sandeep Kumar and Dinesh Kumar Gupta.
Endeavour Systems and some other unknown people were also named in the FIR.
"While working as director education, Rajendra associated with Sandeep and Dinesh," the CBI official said.
She said Rajendra, a 1989 batch IAS officer of Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, allegedly facilitated an award of five contracts worth Rs.9.5 crore to ICSIL and Endeavour Systems during 2007-2014.
Without any government tendering process, Rajendra, who was then working as chairman of Delhi Transco Limited, allegedly facilitated an award of contract worth Rs.40.16 lakh to Endeavour Systems for the development of a comprehensive management information system in 2009, the official said.
"As a secretary in the health and family welfare department of the Delhi government, Rajendra allegedly awarded a Rs.2.43 crore manpower project in the health ministry to Endeavour Systems through ICSIL in November 2010. This tender was also not passed by the government," the official said.
Working as commissioner in trade and taxes department, Rajendra in May 2012 facilitated a project award of Rs.3.66 crore to Endeavour Systems through ICSIL for the development of software applications, the official said.
Rajendra, as a secretary of information and technology in the Delhi government, allowed a facility management system project worth Rs.45.5 lakh to Endeavour Systems in July 2013 without any government tender.
"As a secretary to Delhi CM, Rajendra ensured and allegedly facilitated a project of enterprise resources planning of Delhi Jal Board worth Rs.2.46 crore to Endeavour Systems in June 2014. This project was given to ICSIL by the Delhi Jal Board in February 2014 through a proper tendering process," the official said.
The official earlier said documents related to three immovable properties along with cash were recovered from Rajendra's residence.
The agency said it also recovered Rs.2.4 lakh and an additional Rs.3 lakh in foreign currency from Rajendra's house.
The CBI said Rajendra was not cooperating with it in opening his email accounts.
It said another Rs.10.5 lakh was recovered from G.K. Nanda, who the probe agency claimed was a co-accused with Rajendra in a case of corruption.
