Delhi's new government, headed by Arvind Kejriwal, today directed its Anti-Corruption Branch to lodge an FIR in the Rs 90-crore street light project for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in which a panel headed by a former CAG had indicted the then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
After a Cabinet meeting, senior Minister Manish Sisodia said the ACB has been told to conduct a thorough probe into the scam as there have been "strong findings" in it by CAG and Shunglu Committee.
"The ACB has been directed to conduct an independent and thorough investigation and take action. ACB will file FIR in the case. Our motive is not to target a particular person," Sisodia said. Registration of an FIR is the first step in the filing of formal charges. Today's move was bound to needle its ally Congress.
Law Minister Somnath Bharti said a number of Commonwealth Games related projects that were implemented during the reign of Dikshit will be probed by the ACB which functions under the Delhi Government.
This is the second move against Dikshit by Kejriwal government this week. On Monday, it had recommended to President Pranab Mukherjee to issue an "advisory" to Dikshit based on a Lokayukta order for alleged wrongdoings in grant of provisional regularisation certificates to unauthorised colonies in 2008.
The Lokayukta had recommended issuance of advisory to caution her against repeating such wrongdoings.
Sisodia said investigation into the street lighting scam was closed at the level of preliminary inquiry though there were "strong findings" in the case by CAG and Shunglu Committee.
