Tanker scam: ACB under pressure to save Dikshit, says Delhi Water Minister

New Delhi: Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra on Sunday alleged that the Anti Corruption Bureau's (ACB) visit to Shiela Dikshit's residence in connection with the tanker scam is a "mere formality" and the ACB is "under pressure" to save the former chief minister.

Mishra also accused BJP of "shielding" Dikshit and demanded that she be arrested in connection with the multi-crore scam.

Dikshit was on Sunday handed over a set of at least 15 questions by Delhi's ACB probing the multi-crore tanker scam, and has been asked to reply to the queries within the next few days.

A team of ACB officials visited her residence in Nizamuddin area here and gave the questionnaire on the scam.

"I am the complainant in the case. ACB had summoned me to its office and I was questioned for over four hours in presence of over a dozen officials. There was cross questioning and interrogation and I was made to sign on a statement then and there only," Mishra said in a statement.

"But on the other hand they did not call Dikshit but went to her place and did not conduct any interrogation. They stayed there for twenty minutes, had tea, handed over a list of questions and left," he added.

Mishra has been accusing BJP of "shielding" Dikshit in the alleged Rs 400-crore water tanker scam.

"This visit is a mere formality. Four separate cases of corruption are pending against Dikshit and still this kind of fear to act against her. BJP is shielding her and ACB is under pressure to save her," he added.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government had in June last year constituted a fact-finding committee to probe the irregularities in procuring some 385 stainless steel water tankers by the Delhi Jal Board in 2012 when Dikshit was leading a Congress government.

The Delhi government had in June sent a report of the fact-finding committee on the scam to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung following which an FIR was registered in connection with the matter.

The ACB then had said that they would question Dikshit in connection with allegations against her relating to the scam.

Dikshit had all along been claiming that there was no corruption at all in procurement of tankers and that the allegations were "politically motivated".