Delhi govt to take disciplinary action against IAS YVVJ Rajasekhar for corruption
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi government has said since it has received several complaints against him, it will initiate disciplinary proceedings against IAS officer YVVJ Rajasekhar, who is probing vigilance matters related to excise policy and renovation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bungalow.
Services Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has submitted a formal request to the CM, appealing for immediate transfer of Rajasekhar, according to an official statement.
There was no immediate reaction from the officer on the development.
Rajasekhar is currently posted as Special Secretary, Vigilance, in the Delhi government.
According to the services minister, swift action needs to be taken against him to protect official records and ensure the safety of employees.
In a detailed dossier submitted to the CM, the minister noted that the officer has a long history of being on radar of CBI, Central Vigilance Commission, CBI, and the vigilance department for several incidents of corruption, and is in habit of keeping unauthorised possession of sensitive vigilance files for "ulterior motives."
"The minister expressed grave concerns regarding the negative impact of Rajasekhar's presence in the Vigilance Department, highlighting the urgent need for his transfer or removal. He has denounced Rajasekhar for his continuous dissemination of false, frivolous, and concocted misinformation for personal gain," the government statement said.
The minister called for disciplinary proceedings to be initiated against Rajasekhar alleging that he violated AIS (Conduct) Rules 1968.
He recommended that all complaints received against him for allegedly indulging in corrupt practices and misconduct must be referred to an investigative agency.
Charges against Rajasekhar include blatant insubordination, undisciplined behaviour, falsification of material facts, and other serious transgressions, the statement added.
As per the note submitted by the Services Minister to the CM on May 13, all work assigned to Rajasekhar was withdrawn with immediate effect in lieu of a complaint that alleged that he was running an extortion racket and demanding protection money.
In another note the same day, the Services Minister further said that all assistant directors of the Vigilance department should present their files directly to the Secretary (Vigilance) and not Rajasekhar.
The secretary, vigilance, was further directed to take custody of all files being held by Rajasekhar under the apprehension of fear of tampering or destruction by him.
"At no stage, as is amply clear from the above referenced orders, were any instructions issued to Secretary (Vig.) to put up files to the office of the Minister. Despite these written orders, Shri YVVJ Rajasekhar has deliberately, willfully and illegally held hostage umpteen files pertaining to Vigilance Department, seemingly due to ulterior motives.
"Furthermore, rather than complying with instructions of his superiors and submitting himself to fair investigation, he resorted to concocting false and frivolous stories and sharing them widely in the media to undermine the credibility of the functioning of Minister In-charge and Secretary(Vig) of GNCTD," the note reads.
The note said Rajasekhar is guilty of "blatant violation" of AIS Rules which prescribe the general as well as specific behaviours for the conduct of officers to ensure integrity and devotion of duty.
"Here, it would be prudent to place on record that just in the last week, a serious allegation has been received against Rajasekhar who has been alleged to be the mastermind behind a 'Cash for Compassionate Jobs scam' totalling to Rs 15 crore in the Services Department," the note states.
The complaint claims that Rajasekhar has been running an organised racket, demanding Rs 5 lakh for each genuine placement on compassionate grounds, running the sum up to Rs 15 crore for 300 such candidates, the complainant being one of them.
The minister in the note also wondered whether Rajasekhar misused his official position to extract crores of rupees from the dependents of employees of the Delhi government who died in service.
The BJP termed the call for action against Rajasekhar a ruse to remove him since being in the Vigilance department, he is in part responsible for probes against excise policy and inordinate amount allegedly spent by Kejriwal on his official bungalow.
Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva alleged Kejriwal wants to appoint a pliable officer in Rajasekhar's place to influence these probes.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
