A Delhi court has directed the Anti-Corruption Branch to provide security to the complainants in the alleged PWD scam in which a criminal complaint has been filed against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his relative.
Metropolitan Magistrate Abhilash Malhotra said the plea has been filed against "influential persons" and the security of the complainants are of "paramount importance".
The court asked the Additional Commissioner of Police of ACB to assess the threat perception after complainant Rahul Sharma claimed he and his family members were receiving threats.
"Additional CP of ACB is directed to immediately assess the threat perception and take necessary steps for providing security (if necessary)," the court said and asked ACB to file a compliance report on April 3.
It also said it had on February 2 ordered the Delhi Police's Economic Offence Wing (EOW) to assess the threat perception and provide security to the complainants but no action has been taken.
"Despite that untoward incidents have taken place and FIRs have been lodged at various police stations. Complainants have filed the present case against the influential persons and security of the complainants are of paramount importance," the court said.
Meanwhile, the court rejected Sharma's plea for an early hearing, saying the date for the next hearing was fixed with mutual consent.
Earlier, Delhi Police informed the court that the plea has been transferred to the ACB.
The court was hearing a complaint filed by Rahul Sharma, the founder of Roads Anti-Corruption Organisation (RACO), for direction to police to lodge an FIR against Kejriwal, his brother-in-law Surender Bansal, proprietor of a construction firm, and a public servant for alleged irregularities in the grant of contracts for roads and sewer lines in Delhi.
Advocate Kislay Pandey, appearing for Sharma, had alleged "deep-rooted corruption" and said the documents showed no material was actually purchased for executing the projects.
The complainant has alleged documents showing purchase of material were "concocted and forged", and a loss of over Rs 10 crore had been caused to the public exchequer.
The complainant alleged that Bansal operated through several dummy firms to obtain government contracts with the connivance of several senior PWD officials. These contracts never got executed "whereas shockingly all the payments were cleared under pressure from Kejriwal".
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