New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Friday ordered the registration of an FIR and urged the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to take action against IAS officer Amarnath Talwade who is alleged to have "pressurised a subordinate officer into collecting money from retail liquor vendors" at the behest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP Government, which is facing serious corruption charges in the Delhi Excise Policy and Liquor Scam, is in for fresh troubles with an IAS officer found "pressurising a subordinate officer into collecting money from retail liquor vendors" at the behest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal," according to LG office sources.
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The case pertains to the year 2015-16, when Talwade, during his stint as Senior General Manager of Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd.
(DSCSC), had allegedly pressurised the then Manager of DSCSC, PK Shahi (now retired), to "collect more money" from vendors by threatening him of "transfer."
The action came after an audio clip of the two officers' telephonic conversation surfaced which was later authenticated by the FSL as genuine and undoctored," it said.
Talwade is currently stationed in Arunachal Pradesh. The allegations are supported by an audio recording transcript that has been authenticated by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), as "genuine" and "undoctored," establishing the "complicity of the officer."
In the audio clip, "Talwade admitted to have received Rs five lakh from Shahi soon after he took charge of DSCSC", according to LG office sources.
Talwade was posted in DSCSC from January 12, 2015, to April 29, 2016.
A complaint in this regard was filed by a Noida resident on March 21, 2023 who submitted a pen drive containing the audio clip to the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV).
The complainant alleged that the conversation between an IAS officer and an inspector pertained to "sharing of booty" in some excise matters.
After preliminary investigation, the DoV ascertained that the said IAS officer was Amarnath Talwade and the other subordinate officer was PK Shahi.
In the purported audio recording, Talwade is heard demanding 35 per cent (of the total collection), which he has committed to CM Kejriwal. To this, Shahi tells Talwade that he could arrange only 15 per cent due to two consecutive "dry months," where collection was almost nil.
On the directions of the Chief Secretary, the DoV sent the audio clip to FSL Delhi, which on November 28, 2023, submitted its examination report, saying "there was no indication of any form of alteration in the audio recording".
The matter was referred to the Law Department, GNCTD, which opined that it was a fit case for registration of the FIR as the information provided by the source was not "vague, cryptic or lacked essential details" and the information related to "commission of a cognizable offence".
Subsequently, the DoV proposed that the matter be referred to ACB for registration of an FIR and appropriate disciplinary action against Talwade and submitted the proposal for LG's approval.
The LG, according to his approval, has also expressed displeasure over the delay in the case despite clinching evidence against the officer in the form of an audio recording. (ANI)
