Sack Chief Secretary for ‘misuse’ of position: CM Kejriwal to L-G

New Delhi, November 18

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sent to the Lieutenant Governor a report prepared by Vigilance Minister Atishi, accusing Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar of using his position to enable a “lucrative collaboration” between a company in which his son is a partner and the ILBS, sources said on Saturday.

The report was submitted to Kejriwal by the Vigilance Minister on Thursday. The report recommended Kumar’s suspension and a CBI investigation in the matter. Sources close to the Chief Secretary have claimed that his son was not a signatory to any memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the company and the ILBS. He is not at all connected with the company in question as a shareholder or director or partner or employee, they claimed.

The Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), in a statement on Thursday, denied the allegations as “totally baseless and without merit.” “ILBS confirms that it did not issue any purchase order or made any payment to any Al software developer or company,” mentioned the ILBS statement.

It was alleged in the report that an MoU was signed between the ILBS and the company of Chief Secretary’s son on January 24, 2023, that provided “a huge scope for profiteering to the company by providing it with joint intellectual property rights for any intellectual property developed through the project and 50 per cent share of profits by both parties for any future commercialisation of work.”

“Prima facie it appears that Naresh Kumar has acted in violation of All India Services Conduct Rules and has used his position to enable a lucrative collaboration for his son’s company at a loss to the public exchequer,” the report alleged. The report also recommended immediate termination of the MoU. — PTI

Atishi’s allegations

• Vigilance Minister Atishi has accused Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar of using his position to enable a “lucrative collaboration” between a company in which his son is a partner and the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences.
• The ILBS has already denied the allegations as baseless and without merit.

Not a signatory

Sources close to the Chief Secretary have claimed that his son is not a signatory to any memorandum of understanding between the company and the ILBS. He is not at all connected with the company in question as a shareholder or director or partner or employee, they claim.

Stance of ILBS

The Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences has denied the allegations as totally baseless and without merit. “ILBS confirms that it did not issue any purchase order or made any payment to any Al software developer or company,” mentioned the ILBS statement.

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