ED conducts searches on AAP MP ND Gupta, Arvind Kejriwal’s personal secretary Bibhav Kumar

The Enforcement Directorate searched the premises of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s personal secretary Bibhav Kumar and AAP national treasurer ND Gupta as part of a money laundering probe, relating to siphoning of funds from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The ED searched about 10 premises, including that of former Delhi Jal Board member Shalabh Kumar. 

The ED searches come a day after AAP cabinet minister Atishi said she will do an “explosive expose” on the agency. 

The ED searches were initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that contained scheduled offences related to corruption and bribery in Delhi Jal Board. 

The FIR alleged that former DJP Chief Engineer Jagdish Kumar Arora awarded a certain contract to NKG Infrastructure for total costs of over Rs 38 crore despite the fact that the company did not meet the technical eligibility criteria. ED alleged that NKG obtained the bid by submitting forged and fake documents. 

ED had arrested Jagdish Kumar and Anil Kumar Aggarwal on January 331 under the Prevention of Money laundering Act (PMLA) 2002. The agency said that Jagdish Kumar was aware of the fact that the company did not meet the technical eligibility criteria for sanctioning of the tender. NKG sub-contracted the work to Integral Screws, proprietorship firm of Anil Kumar Aggarwal. 

Anil Kumar Aggarwal transferred a bribe of Rs 3 crore to Jagdish Kumar Arora through cash and bank accounts. Bank accounts of Jagdish Kumar’s close associates and their relatives were used to transfer the bribe amounts. His close aide also received a bribe in cash. 

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