DCW chief Maliwal moves ACB against Sheila Dikshit, Barkha Singh

Delhi Commission for Women (DCE) chief Swati Maliwal filed a complaint on Friday with Anti-Corruption Branch against former chief minister Sheila Dikshit as well as former DCW chiefs Barkha Shukla Singh and Kiran Walia, alleging financial irregularities and corruption.

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal filed a complaint on Friday with Anti-Corruption Branch against former chief minister Sheila Dikshit as well as former DCW chiefs Barkha Shukla Singh and Kiran Walia, alleging financial irregularities and corruption.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal filed a complaint with ACB against former chief minister Sheila Dikshit and former women’s panel chiefs Barkha Shukla Singh and Kiran Walia. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

Maliwal’s complaint comes five days after the ACB registered an FIR against her in connection with alleged illegal appointments in the women’s panel, on a complaint filed by Singh.

In her complaint on Friday, Maliwal said the Commission has discovered instances of “gross financial irregularities” and “high misappropriation” of government funds done by previous chairpersons.

“The Commission while perusing the files of the previous commission recently, has discovered instances of gross financial irregularities and high misappropriation of government funds done by the previous Chairpersons of the Commission, namely Mrs. Barkha Shukla Singh and Mrs. Kiran Walia, with some instances, prima facie being carried out under the directions of the then Chief Minister of Delhi, Mrs. Sheila Dikshit from 2007 to 2015,” the complaint said.

Maliwal said the DCW has submitted a 128 page document detailing all the wrong doings done in DCW between 2007 and 2015. Maliwal alleged the funds from the commission were spent to benefit certain companies.

Maliwal alleged that over Rs 50 lakh were spent to conduct a silent march on January 2, 2013 in the name of 2012 Delhi gangrape victim. “The audit report of 2012-2013 strongly noted this expenditure of Rs. 50,34,878/- as wasteful expenditure not mandated by the Delhi Commission for Women Act, noting the absence of codal formalities as a serious illegality,” the complaint said.