CoI in CNG scam, an attempt by Arvind Kejriwal to save Sheila Dikshit: BJP

New Delhi, Aug 11: Delhi BJP on Tuesday accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of trying to "save" former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit by setting up Commission of Inquiry to probe the alleged 2002 CNG fitness scam of Rs 100 crore.

"Instead of setting up this inquiry, Delhi government should have given sanction to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) to prosecute persons, including Dikshit, involved in the scam," Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said.

Delhi Government on Tuesday announced appointment of Commission of Inquiry to be headed by a retired Delhi High Court judge to probe the multi-crore CNG fitness scam in which a number of officials of previous Sheila Dikshit government were under scanner.

"By setting up a fresh inquiry in CNG scam, Kejriwal is trying to save former CM Sheila Dikshit," he said in a statement. Upadhyay claimed the scam was "exposed" by a BJP activist Vivek Garg who took the matter to the court.

An FIR was lodged on the court's directive, after which the ACB completed a probe in which several ministers and officials were indicted. The BJP leader also said it has to be checked whether the Commission setup today has legal sanction or it may turn out to be a new cause of "dispute".

"Kejriwal's government must tell the people of Delhi why he has ordered this inquiry when his own ACB wants to prosecute the former ministers," he also said.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain said the Commission of Inquiry will be headed by retired Delhi High Court judge Justice S N Agarwal and its terms of reference will be announced in a day or two.

The scam had come to light in 2012 when ACB found that the Delhi government had lost nearly Rs 100 crore in alleged irregularities in awarding of contract to operate and maintain inspection and certification of CNG vehicles at the transport authority in Burari to ESP India Pvt Ltd instead of ESP USA.

PTI