A complaint has been filed against Delhi's chief secretary Naresh Kumar and his subordinate YVVJ Rajashekhar. The case was registered on the orders of a court in Almora, Uttarakhand.
The Pleasant Valley Foundation lodged the complaint leading to the case, filed in response to a court order from Almora dated March 2 directing the Revenue Police to register the case against these officers and investigate the allegations leveled against them.
What are the charges against Naresh Kumar?
The foundation alleges that on February 14, the officers sent four men to a school run by the NGO in Dadakara village. These men vandalized the office chamber of the joint secretary of the NGO and left with files, records, documents, and pen drives, believed to contain evidence of the officers' involvement in scams.
The foundation accused the officers of trying to frame the NGO's officials in false cases, threatening that if they did not retract their complaints of corruption lodged against the officers with the Vigilance Department and other forums, the NGO's officials would be falsely implicated.
It is alleged that the officers attempted to forcibly obtain signatures from the complainant on pre-typed documents they brought. When the complainant refused, the officers allegedly took 63,000 rupees from the office chamber's drawer and departed.
DM of Almora, Vineet Tomar, reported that the Revenue Police sub-inspector of Govindpur has registered the case against Naresh Kumar and his associate officer. They face charges under IPC sections 392 (robbery), 447 (trespass), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation), along with provisions of the SC-ST Act.
Who is Naresh Kumar?
A 1987-batch IAS officer, Naresh Kumar belongs to the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territory) cadre. Previously, he served as the chief secretary of Arunachal Pradesh and took over as the chief secretary of Delhi in April 2022, succeeding Vijay Dev. Kumar has also served as the chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Council.
Naresh Kumar Uncovered the Liquor Scandal
IAS Naresh Kumar initiated the preliminary investigation into Delhi's notorious Excise Policy Scam and alleged irregularities in the renovation of the CM's residence, levying serious charges against the Kejriwal government. On July 8, 2022, he accused the Delhi government of scamming the new liquor policy. He submitted a report to LG VK Saxena stating that Excise Minister and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia had provided undue benefits to licensed liquor traders. Based on his investigation, CBI filed a case and began raids. Since then, there has been a reported conflict between the Kejriwal government and Naresh Kumar.
What is the Delhi Liquor Scandal?
On November 17, 2021, the Kejriwal government implemented the Excise Policy 2021-22. Under the new policy, the government withdrew from the liquor business, transferring stores to private hands.
The Delhi government claimed the new policy would end the mafia rule and boost government revenue. However, the policy was controversial from the start, and when the uproar escalated, the government revoked it on July 28, 2022.
The alleged liquor scandal was exposed on July 8, 2022, due to a report from the then-chief secretary Naresh Kumar.
The report contained serious accusations against several leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party, including Manish Sisodia. Following that, LG VK Saxena recommended a CBI investigation, after which CBI filed a case on August 17, 2022. The case included allegations of financial irregularities, prompting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to register a case as well.
The chief secretary accused Manish Sisodia, who was also in charge of the Excise Department, of improperly framing the liquor policy. The report alleged that license fees amounting to 144.36 crores were waived on the pretext of COVID, and an additional 30 crores were returned to airport zone licensees, monies that were supposed to be confiscated.
