Rs 350-crore 'scam' in Delhi Police: AAP demands probe

The AAP on Friday demanded a probe by an independent agency into an alleged Rs 350-crore scam in the Delhi Police and asked Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena to take responsibility of the matter.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also asked whether those guilty will go to jail.

Tagging a media report on the alleged scam, Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi: "Prime minister, the Delhi Police comes under you. Will this be investigated? Will the guilty go to jail?"

Addressing a press conference, Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) chief spokesperson and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the law-and-order situation of the national capital is deteriorating and Friday's firing incident in the Saket court complex is a proof of that.

"If a place is secure in the country, it is the courts. There were several rounds of firing in a court. What is the police doing? A lawyer was recently killed at Dwarka. Elderly people are being killed, while mobile phone and chain-snatching incidents are taking place. Vehicles are being stolen from posh areas. Even if a crime is captured on CCTV, police are unable to catch the culprits," Bharadwaj said.He added that the LG should take moral responsibility for the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Delhi.

"What is the LG doing? He goes to a DJB sewer treatment plant to take stock of the ongoing work, but he should also go to a police station or the Saket court complex. When will the LG get himself clicked at a police station? A woman was dragged (by a car) in Kanjhawala, but he did not go there. He should have taken reporters there too. You are roaming from drain to drain, but not going to a police station.

"The LG sahab has not done any work that will make one say that the law-and-order situation is improving. He should take moral responsibility for this. If he wants to resign, it will be seen. At least he should take responsibility," Bharadwaj quipped.

He said the LG has two responsibilities given to him by the Constitution -- public order and land.

"In the last few months of his tenure, he has never visited a police station. He should at least go to one police station every day," the AAP leader said.

He also accused the Delhi Police of trying to hush up the matter of corruption.

Bharadwaj said a Delhi Police department got an audit conducted and found out a scam of Rs 350 crore.

"This money was provisioned in the budget under professional services, but was diverted for minor work like painting. There are allegations that fake bills were made. It is clear that the Delhi Police has started whitewashing the matter," he added.

The Delhi Police has ordered an inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of funds allocated to the force in last year's Union Budget, officials said on Thursday.

They said Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora has received information that funds meant to be spent under the head of "Professional Services" have been utilised in other sectors and hence, the inquiry has been ordered.

Special Commissioner of Police (Provisioning and Financial Division) Lalatendu Mohanti has asked all the district police chiefs to provide information on the expenditure of funds.

"We want to know what did you do? How is it possible that the scam happened in the Delhi Police and the police will probe it? Where is the CBI and the ED? It is a scam of Rs 350 crore in Delhi's biggest security agency. Who is the LG trying to protect? He is completely silent on this. Please accept your responsibility. You are answerable. You are accountable. We demand that the LG sahab clear his position on the scam and an independent agency probe this," Bharadwaj said.

He pointed out that Saxena was in charge of the Delhi Police during the 2022-23 financial year.

"Everyday, he (LG) writes long letters to the chief minister on morality. He has not issued a single tweet or statement on this scam. Why this silence? What is he hiding? How did it happen under his watch?" the AAP leader asked.