ACB conducts ‘search’ at DCW office; CM, Maliwal livid

New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) The Anti-Corruption Branch todaycarried out searches at Delhi Commission for Women office herein connection with complaints by a former chief secretary andan ex-chief of the panel, triggering an angry reaction fromChief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Later, addressing a press conference, DCW chief SwatiMaliwal said the "raid" by ACB, headed by LG-appointed M KMeena, may be an attempt at coercion but such actions cannot"silence" her and that she was ready for the "ultimatesacrifice". ACB officials claimed that they had intimated the DCW thatthey will be coming to collect certain documents pertaining totwo complaints, one alleging nepotism and favouritism byMaliwal in appointing employees to the body and the otherabout "misuse" of her official position. The complaints were recently made by former chief of DCWBarkha Shukla Singh and former Delhi Chief Secretary OmeshSehgal, respectively. Adopting a Gandhian way of protest, the staff of the paneltied rakhis to the ACB officials during the search. "I was not questioned by the ACB officials but othermembers of the Commission were. During her tenure, BarkhaSingh handled just one case in nine years. We have beenworking on pending cases, that’s why we are being questioned,"Maliwal told reporters. In her complaint, Barkha had claimed that several AAPsupporters were given plum posts in the women’s panel, anallegation strongly denied by Maliwal, who attributed theincreased staff strength to the "increase" in the amount ofwork being handled by DCW since she took over in July lastyear. "Barkha Singh in DCW tenure of nine year did only 1 case.I’ve done over 400 cases, 50 recommendation in 50 visits.Attack on me for doing work…Those who fight against thesystem have to make sacrifices. Have to be ready for theultimate sacrifice. I am ready (sic)," Maliwal tweeted. In another complaint, Sehgal had alleged that Maliwal wasmisusing her official position by issuing a showcause noticeto a club of which he is a member. A woman had claimed that Sehgal had harassed her bybumping into her constantly in the club’s swimming pool. Thewoman had claimed that she and her husband were suspended fromthe club after they filed an FIR against Sehgal. DCW had sought a reply from the club on the suspension ofthe couple’s membership and the club’s failure to forward thewoman’s complaint to the local complaints committee. "When we approach the ACB against irregularities in MCD,it hardly takes any note of them. You can call the ACB a BJP-controlled agency. It springs up like James Bond when it comesto complaints against AAP and Delhi government," AAP DelhiConvenor Dilip Pandey said. (MORE) PTI SLB SBR PR MPB GVS ZMNGVS