Maliwal terms move politically motivated

Tribune News Service 

New Delhi, November 2

The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) today questioned Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal in connection with the alleged irregularities in recruitments in the panel before handing over 11-point questionnaire to which reply has to be furnished by her in two days. 

Terming the move "politically-motivated", Maliwal alleged that the ACB is being used to "harass and intimidate" the Commission. 

The DCW chief questioned the timing of grilling saying the ACB has approached the Commission after a month and that too when the panel has strongly raised its voice against the Lieutenant Governor for "stopping the salaries of the staff of the Commission as well as its crucial programmes of 181, Rape Crisis Cell and others". 

"It appears that the ACB is working in a politically motivated manner. Attempts are being made to thwart the functioning of the Commission by continuously challenging its autonomy," she stated. 

Adding she said, "Shocked that no FIR has been registered against Sheila Dikshit and Barkha Singh for the past two months despite the entire Commission complaining against them to ACB and submitting 128 pages of evidence of financial frauds and misdoings."

"The ACB is being used to harass and intimidate the Commission. With the replies already submitted to the ACB, it is obvious that no criminal case is made out against the Chairperson," read a statement issued by the DCW. 

The ACB team reached the DCW office at noon for questioning her and gave her a questionnaire to fill. The Chairperson is understood to have requested the ACB officials that she will cooperate with the investigation and sought time to furnish the response as the information sought is voluminous. 

"However, the officials refused to provide her time and insisted that the same be provided then and there. Finally, in the evening, the ACB officials relented and gave time of two days to the Chairperson to furnish her reply," said the DCW.