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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders met Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday to demand an inquiry into the “sudden” transfer of Delhi’s VAT Commissioner Vijay Kumar by Lt Governor Najeeb Jung shortly after a multi-crore hawala racket was unearthed by the department.
AAP leaders, Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh and Dileep Pandey met Singh for about half an hour and apprised him of the development that threatens another confrontation between AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Centre.
“Why was such an honest officer transferred within a week of him swooping down on a big hawala racket? Why did the LG not consult the State government or even the Centre?” Ashutosh said after the meeting, adding that they had sought an investigation into the matter.
In their letter to the Home Minister, AAP alleged Kumar was “suddenly shunted out after the department carried out one of its biggest operations in its history.”
Detailing the case, the letter said on September 30, the Enforcement branch of Department of Trade and Taxes, on a specific input, made surveys at four places, two situated in district central Janakpuri and two in Netaji Subash place, following which all four places were sealed.
The branch found that more than 200 companies were functioning from a single-room office, the records of which were found there, adding that there were documents that made it clear that there was no business being transacted, “though several fake receipts were found.”
“There were about 52 firms registered in Delhi while the remaining are registered in states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana,” said the letter, adding that there were some 30-40 telephones registered under the names of fake companies.
“On paper, these companies were shown registered under the Delhi VAT department at various parts of the city and in other neighbouring States,” it added.
AAP said more than 200 bank accounts were scrutinised, on the basis of records which were available with the department, adding that this “bogus activity” has resulted in the loss of crores of rupees of revenue to the Delhi government.
The letter also said that the name of alleged ‘Hawala Kingpin’ Naresh Jain has been linked to these companies, as per information provided by some employees, adding that this information had already been sent to the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police.
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