Days after conducting raids at Manish Sisodia’s house, the CBI has now launched a preliminary inquiry over allegations of corruption in the procurement of 1,000 low-floor buses by the Delhi government. A report by news agency PTI said that the inquiry was launched on the recommendations of the Home Ministry headed by Amit Shah.
The Delhi government headed by Arvind Kejriwal has denied allegations of corruption saying that the Centre’s Narendra Modi government has resorted to harassment using its probe agencies.
The BJP had first raised the allegations of corruption in the Delhi assembly in March this year. The then Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal had formed a three-member committee to probe the matter. The committee submitted its report in June this year, confirming procedural ‘flaws’ in the annual maintenance contract (AMC) of the bus procurement. It had recommended in favour of scrapping it.
According to officials, the LG had recommended the matter to the Home Ministry for necessary action.
If the CBI finds merit during its preliminary investigation, it can then register an FIR against individuals responsible for the alleged corruption.