Anti-corruption branch searches Delhi women panel’s office

A team of anti-corruption branch Thursday searched the Delhi commission for women (DCW) office on a complaint that its chief, Swati Maliwal, had illegally appointed supporters of the ruling AAP to the panel.

A team of anti-corruption branch Thursday searched the Delhi commission for women (DCW) office on a complaint that its chief, Swati Maliwal, had illegally appointed supporters of the ruling AAP to the panel.

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal. (ANI File Photo)

No FIR has been registered but the three-member team was questioning DCW officials when reports last came in.

The anti-corruption body is investigating a complaint by former DCW chief Barkha Shukla Singh, a Congress leader, accusing Maliwal of packing the panel with Aam Aadmi Party volunteers.

The DCW has refuted the charges, saying it needed the staff for smooth functioning of the commission.

A senior ACB officer said they visited the office to collect documents. “ACB officers came for investigation at around 11.30am,” DCW sources said.

In her complaint, Singh has said Maliwal appointed 85 people in violation of norms. The DCW failed to call applications and most of the appointees were either AAP office-bearers or were associated with party leader and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal when he was an activist

Singh has also demanded action against minister for women and child development Sandeep Kumar and Kejriwal.

The Delhi government has taken on the Centre and even gone to court over ACB appointments. The high court recently ruled that the lieutenant governor, who represents the Centre, would have the final word in administrative matters, dealing a blow to the Kejriwal government.