CBI raid: Know who is Rajendra Kumar?

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government was in news on Tuesday, Dec 15, over the the unprecedented CBI raids inside the office of Rajendra Kumar, the Pricipal Secretary, in the national capital.

Post CBI's raid, an ugly war of words was unleashed between Kejriwal and Centre. In a series of tweets, Kejriwal called PM Narendra Modi a 'psychopath' and a 'coward'.

"When Modi cudn't handle me politically, he resorts to this cowardice. CBI lying. My own office raided. Files of CM office are being looked into. Let Modi say which file he wants?", he tweeted.

"I am the only CM who dismissed, on my own, a minister n a senior officer on charges of corruption and handed their cases to CBI. If CBI had any evidence against Rajender, why didn't they share it wid me? I wud hv acted against him", he further tweeted.

"My own office files are being looked into to get some evidence against me. Rajender is an excuse", he said in another tweet.

Rajendra Kumar, became the centre of attention since yesterday. Let's know more about him:

• Senior IAS officer of 1989 batch AGMU cadre, Kumar was appointed as the Principal Secretary by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Feb 2015.
• Born on December 16, 1966, 47-year-old Kumar is said to be a close confidante of Kejriwal. Despite Lt Governor's Najeeb Jung's opposition on his appointment, Kejriwal went on to induct Kumar as the Principal Secretary.
• When Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party had made a short-tenured debut in Delhi politics in 2013, then, also Kumar, a native of Bihar, was appointed as the party's Principal Secretary.
• Like Kejriwal, Kumar also studied from IIT Kharagpur and he graduated in electrical engineering.
• He was looking after Urban Development Department, along-with power and transport departments.
• In May 2015, Jung had rejected the handing over of the additional charge of principal secretary (services) Anindo Majumdar to Rajendra Kumar.
• Kumar is also the recipient of Prime Minister's Award for excellence in public administartion in 2007.

Allegations against Rajendra Kumar

• CBI registered a case against Kumar and others on allegations against the officer that he abused his official position by "favouring a particular firm in the last few years in getting tenders from Delhi government departments".
• A bureaucrat and former Member Secretary, Delhi Dialogue Commission, Ashish Joshi had alleged that Kumar had helped some former bureaucrats while setting up a software firm.
• Kumar has been booked under 120-B of IPC (criminal conspiracy), and 13(2), 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Criminal conspiracy, criminal misconduct etc) for allegedly favouring a private company in five contracts worth Rs 9.5 crore during 2007-14.
• During a search conducted at 14 places connected with Kumar in the national capital, including his residence, and various locations in Uttar Pradesh, the CBI on Tuesday, Dec 15, recovered about Rs 16 lakh, including Rs 2.4 lakh in cash and foreign currency of the value of Rs 3 lakh.
• Kumar has also been accused of criminal misconduct.