Arrest Dikshit in water scam: Mishra

NEW DELHI : Delhi water minister Kapil Mishra dared the anti-corruption branch on Saturday to arrest former chief minister Sheila Dikshit in the water tanker scam.

Mishra said he had written to the investigating officer urging him to probe the issue without any political interference and take action against Dikshit.

Mishra said he wrote to the ACB because an assistant commissioner rank officer on Saturday morning sent a questionnaire, with the same questions that were asked last time.

“The letter said I have to answer the questions because I am a complainant. On July 4, when they questioned me all the questions revolved around Arvind Kejriwal. I told them that they should probe someone else. I had given them all the answers last time and now they are asking the same questions,” he said on Saturday.

Dikshit told HT she had no idea about Mishra’s letter to the ACB. “They will continue to level such allegations. I don’t want to comment on this. I will do what I am told. If I am told to reply, I will do that.”

In June, the anti-graft body had registered a case in the alleged ₹ 400 crore water tanker scam.

The case is related to the alleged ‘procurement of 385 water tankers in 2012’ when Dikshit was the chief minister.

The FIR was filed on complaints of Mishra and BJP MLA Vijender Gupta. Gupta in his complaint has sought action against Kejriwal for an elevenmonth delay in recommending the probe and ‘suppressing the facts’ when he had got a report on the scam from a five-member fact finding committee.

ACB officers refused to comment on Mishra’s allegations and said they are probing the case on merit.

“The former chief minister(Sheila Dikshit) has also been quizzed. It was reported by the media too. Not only her (Sheila Dikshit) but even other senior bureaucrats who were with the government joined investigation. ”