Delhi government now accuses chief secretary of ILBS Hospital scam
Delhi's Vigilance Minister, Atishi, has accused Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar of misusing government authority and resources to give his son, Karan Chauhan, undue advantages in a hospital contract. She claimed that Chauhan's firm, MetaMix, secured the bid at ILBS Hospital without proper procedure. In a supplementary report to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, she urged Kumar's immediate dismissal and termination of a contract between MetaMix and ILBS Hospital. Atishi also recommended the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)'s investigation into the case.
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This came days after Atishi submitted a 670-page preliminary report to Kejriwal alleging CS Kumar and Divisional Commissioner Ashwani Kumar were involved in a Rs. 850 crore land scam. Interestingly, the report against Kumar emerged over a year after his report triggered a CBI investigation into the formulation of the now-scrapped 2021-22 Delhi Excise Policy. Two senior leaders of Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)—Manish Sisodia and MP Sanjay Singh—are currently behind bars in connection to the case.
Allegations made against MetaMix
Atishi's supplementary report claimed that MetaMix was assigned the responsibility of creating artificial intelligence (AI) software for the Delhi government's ILBS Hospital "without tender," per ANI. It alleged that the firm was formed merely seven months ago and lacked experience in developing AI-based software. Notably, Kumar also serves as the chairman of ILBS Hospital. The Delhi minister said it prepared the report after examining the contract, its procedures, financial gains obtained by MetaMix, and "conflict of interest" in the partnership.
Earlier allegations on Rs. 850 crore land acquisition scam
Separately, the Delhi government referred an alleged land acquisition scam in the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)'s Dwarka Expressway project to the CBI on Thursday. This followed Atishi's submission of a preliminary report to Kejriwal regarding CS Kumar's purported involvement. The land was purchased for Rs. 75 lakh in 2015 by a company linked to Kumar's son as part of a deal involving inflated land acquisition rates in Bamnoli village, leading to illegitimate profits of Rs. 850 crore.
Additional chief secretary defended Kumar in land scam
Delhi's Additional Chief Secretary Ashwani Kumar previously dismissed the accusations against Kumar as "false and baseless." He argued that the chief secretary's reputation was being tarnished through misunderstandings and falsehoods. Ashwani stressed the importance of presenting accurate facts on record and ensuring that the truth reaches the public. Notably, District Magistrate Hemant has already been suspended by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for his role in the alleged scam.
