Former Kejriwal-aide Rajendra Kumar blames Najeeb Jung for arrest in graft case
Rajendra Kumar has blamed former Lt Governor Najeeb Jung for his arrest by the CBI in a graft case claiming it was part of efforts to educate him.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's former Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar has blamed former Lt Governor Najeeb Jung for his arrest by the CBI in a graft case claiming it was part of efforts to "educate" him.
In a blogpost, Kumar said that it was Jung who was responsible for his arrest by the CBI on July 4, 2016 and his 23 days in custody.
He also alleged that Jung had put pressure on him to frame a "vice-chancellor" of a Delhi government-run university but no case could be made out against the functionary.
Recounting his ordeal following the CBI probe into the alleged acts of corruption, the 1989-batch officer claimed that Jung had met a top official of the Union Home Ministry and a senior CBI officer and asked them to "educate" him in "national interest".
However, Jung's office refused to comment on the matter.
"You spoke to a senior officer of CBI and sought his help to educate me. He was not wise and he politely excused himself. After sometime he retired. But your desire to help and reform me continued,” Kumar wrote, repeatedly using words like 'education' and 'reform' as a synonym for interrogation and harassment.
"You later met a top officer of (Home Ministry) and a top officer of CBI and stressed upon them the urgent national interest issue of helping and educating me," he alleged in the post without naming Jung and couching his allegations in carefully chosen words.
"You have extraordinary oratory skills and they got convinced. Then my education started.
"People visited my house and my office and I was called many times to the country's premier educational and transformational institution. Umpteen number of other people were also called for that education. Some were given special lessons," Kumar said.
"With your kindness and consistent follow-up, I was admitted to full boarding of that premier institution for a few days and I was also admitted full-time to another world class correctional institution for some time.
"But I could not be educated. Some people are born dumb. I admit I am one of them.
"All along your concern in my education forced you to keep in touch with the educators of all levels at these two educational institutions. You tried your best," Kumar said.
A 1989 batch IAS officer, Kumar was accused of abusing his official position in awarding Delhi government contracts to private firms during 2007-14 when the Congress ruled Delhi. He has denied the charges.
Earlier this month, Kumar sought voluntary retirement from service and alleged that the CBI pressured him to implicate Kejriwal in his alleged wrongdoing.
Kumar said Jung, shortly after becoming the Lt Governor, sought the personal file of a then Vice Chancellor of a Delhi government university.
"After you saw the file, you called me again and asked me to find out the misconducts of that Vice Chancellor. I ... concluded there were none. You were unhappy.
"I later found out that this Vice Chancellor has been forced to proceed on long leave. He could join back only a few days before his retirement."
Kumar said Jung -- who quit in December -- falsely accused him of being pro-AAP and awarded him "my first show-cause notice in my career for reaching five minutes late to one of your meetings".
Kumar said: "You narrated stories of your attempts to educate me to many other persons of my fraternity and assured them of similar special sessions like mine if they remained dumb like me.
"They were not blessed enough to get your very special attention, which you bestowed on me."