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The Delhi Legislative Assembly’s Petitions Committee has accused Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar of giving “bureaucratic patronage” to IAS officer Ashish Moore, who he alleged was involved in a “land scam”, and Kumar has been subpoenaed over the matter next week.
Sources from the committee who are aware of the developments in this regard said that the Divisional Commissioner Ashwani Kumar and Moore, the former Services Secretary, were called in this regard along with the Chief Secretary on June 15. – Al-Dalhi’s government and the city’s bureaucracy following the Supreme Court’s ruling on services last month.
“Complaint of gross misconduct and irregularities by St. Ashish Moore, IAS, during his appointment as DM/North in the year 2013 in relation to land in Jhangola village in Northern District,” read the agenda for the scheduled session of the committee.
According to sources, Kumar was allegedly babysitting Moore – the latter now serving as Kumar’s staff officer – and helping him evade his deposition before the commission which was to be held for the first time on 12 June.
In connection with an alleged corruption case dating back to 2013, Moore is accused of transferring “valuable parcels of land to private entities” during his tenure as DM (North). The complaint alleged in this case that 54 bighas of land worth Rs 50 crore in Jhangola Village Revenue Estate were transferred to private parties.
These plots of land, according to the complaint, are classified as “evacuated properties,” meaning they are owned by residents who migrated to Pakistan after the partition. The transfer of such property is strictly prohibited by law, with the government acting as custodian of it.
A source said: “A report made by ADM North to DM North in fact confirmed Evacuee’s title status for these plots of land as ‘Muhafiz Jaydad’, yet Ashish More failed to support the law in dealing with the matter.”
Ashish Moore has evaded the investigation process by refusing to testify before the committee. On various occasions, Moore has sought to delay the date to appear before the committee or questioned the correctness of the proceedings through other officers involved in the matter.
According to sources, More allegedly “made the Commissioner of the Department of Revenue Management claim ‘that the issue belonged to the subject of land and not revenue – and outside the jurisdiction of the Delhi Legislative Assembly -‘ although he was fully aware of the matter over the estate revenues” of a village.
“This whole controversy has created more doubts about the role of Principal Secretary Naresh Kumar to provide care and protection to Ashish Moore,” the source said.
Five SDMs – Ajeet Singh Thakur (then SDM Alipur); Harshit Jain (then SDM Alipur); PC Thakur (then SDM Alipur); Devendra Sharma (The then Model City SDM); and Nagendra Shekar Pati Tripathi (then SDM Alipur) – suspended in the past for their alleged involvement in moving vacated land at the Revenue Estate, the source said.
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