A recent revelation claims that Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar enabled “lucrative collaboration” in favor of his son’s business.
The report comes after another that accused Kumar of misconduct in connection with a property purchase.
According to official sources who spoke to PTI on Friday, Kumar allegedly exploited his position to facilitate a “lucrative collaboration” between the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) and a business in which his son was a partner in the most recent report released by Delhi Vigilance Minister Atishi. It is claimed that a contract was awarded to the business of Kumar’s son without the required tender.
In the report, Atishi suggested that Kumar be suspended and that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) look into his suspected corrupt activities.
Kumar did not immediately respond, but according to PTI, ILBS refuted the “allegation” that it had awarded a purchase order or paid money to any seller of artificial intelligence (AI) software in a statement. According to those close to Kumar, the agency also said that his son has not signed any memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between the business and the ILBS.
“He is not at all connected with the company in question as a shareholder or director or partner or employee,” sources told PTI.
According to PTI, which cited Atishi’s “supplementary report” that was sent to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the business was established on April 20, 2022, only 20 days after Kumar was appointed Chief Secretary of Delhi. This eighteen-page report comes after another regarding Kumar’s alleged wrongdoing in a property acquisition case in Bamnoli village, southwest Delhi.
The issue is with the lab that ILBS is building up. According to the investigation, under Kumar’s supervision, the contract was awarded to the son of Kumar’s business without a competitive bidding process.
In addition to his role as chief secretary, Kumar chaired the ILBS governing council, which made the decision to establish a virtual or augmented reality lab at the institute. According to PTI, which cited Atishi’s report, an agreement between Kumar’s son’s company and ILBS was then signed on January 24, 2023.
PTI said that the business was selected via a nomination procedure without going through a competitive bidding process or doing due diligence to confirm its competency or expertise in the healthcare or virtual reality sectors.
“The MoU also provides a huge scope for profiteering to the company by providing it with joint intellectual property rights for any IP developed through this project and 50% share of profits by both parties for any future commercialization of work arising out of this collaboration,” Atishi’s report stated, according to PTI, even though it did not specify the precise nature of any irregularity.
“Prima facie it appears that Naresh Kumar has acted in violation of All India Services Conduct Rules and has used his position to enable a lucrative collaboration for his son’s company at a loss to the public exchequer,” according to the report.
The previous report, which was 670 pages long, said that there was “prima facie complicity” on Kumar’s part in a land acquisition case and that there would have been a windfall benefit for stakeholders of Rs 897 crore, according to PTI.
In a statement, Kumar had questioned “the basis on which such charges are made, particularly considering that the chief secretary joined the company just last year, in 2022. No report copy is distributed. So what grounds are there for a response or report?” the report reads.
