CBI trashes Rajendra Kumar's claim that agency forced him to implicate Kejriwal

New Delhi: CBI on Thursday strongly refuted allegations by Rajendra Kumar, the former Principal Secretary to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, that he was "threatened" by its officers to implicate the Aam Aadmi Party Chief.

Kumar, who has been chargesheeted by the agency in a graft case, made the allegations in his letter to Delhi Chief Secretary seeking voluntary retirement.

CBI said making such "absolutely baseless allegations" after filing of charge sheet "is only an attempt to influence the matter which is subjudice".

"Central Bureau of Investigation strongly denies statement/news item published/telecast in certain sections of the media being attributed to Shri Rajender Kumar, IAS," CBI Spokesperson R K Gaur said.

"The allegation of Rajendra Kumar, which has incidentally come up after filing of the charge sheet, that witnesses/ accused in this case were threatened by CBI officers to implicate a political functionary, is absolutely baseless and denied," he said.

Gaur said the accused had the opportunity to bring before the court any instance of alleged physical assault when they were produced before judge but no such allegation was made.

"No such allegation was made at the relevant time, except one person, who also filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court, but had to withdraw the same after the court observed that he is trying to spoil the system and scaring away the probe agency which was widely reported in the media on May 3, 2016," he said.

Gaur said making such baseless allegations at this moment, is only an attempt to influence the matter which is subjudice.

His reaction came after Kumar sought voluntary retirement alleging that he was repeatedly told by CBI interrogators to implicate Chief Minister Kejriwal.

In his letter to Delhi Chief Secretary, Kumar, a 1989 batch IAS officer, said, "I was repeatedly told that I would be let free if I implicate Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal."

Gaur said the allegations of Kumar helping M/s Endeavour System Pvt Ltd (ESPL) in getting IT related contracts from various Delhi Government Departments, wherever he was posted, were in public domain since June, 2015 and were made by then Secretary, Delhi Dialogue Commission.

He said CBI registered the case in December, 2015 against Shri Rajendra Kumar and others under Prevention of Corruption Act, after due diligence.

"After investigating the case thoroughly for over a year, filed charge sheet against him and others in the court of Special Judge, Patiala House Court on 03.12.2016. All the evidence gathered during the course of investigation against Rajendra Kumar and others have been put before the court," Gaur said.