What is Delhi snoopgate case? The latest flashpoint between LG and AAP govt

The CBI claims the FBU set up by Delhi government months after AAP came to power in Delhi in 2015 indulged in "political intelligence".

New Delhi, Feb 09: The Delhi snoopgate case has been referred to the President's office after a CBI report accused the AAP govt of using the vigilance department to carry out political snooping.

The CBI in its report claimed that the FBU set up by Delhi government months after AAP came to power in Delhi in 2015 indulged in "political intelligence".

This has led to a war of words between the AAP and the BJP in the national capital.

The Kejriwal government claimed in a statement that these all cases are "politically motivated". "The CBI and ED should rather investigate the dubious relationship between Modi and Adani where the real corruption happened," it alleged.

What is Delhi snooping scam?

The CBI report said that the FBU was tasked to gather actionable feedback regarding working of various departments of Delhi government and also to do "trap cases".

The FBU started functioning from February 2016 and a fund of Rs 1 crore was kept for it under "secret service expenditure". A rough analysis of nature of reports generated by the unit revealed that while 60 per cent of it was related to vigilance matters, political intelligence and other issues accounted for around 40 per cent, the report said.

"Scrutiny of such reports during the period from February 2016 to early September 2016 shows that a substantial number of reports submitted by FBU officials were not actionable feedback on corruption in any department, but related to political activities of persons, political entities and political issues touching political interest of the Aam Admi Party," the report said.

"The feedback unit was not functioning in the manner and for the purpose approved by the cabinet but was working for some other hidden purposes which were not in the interest of the GNCTD but private interest of Aam Admi Party and Manish Sisodia, the Dy CM, who played an active role in its creation of Feedback flouting established rules of GNCTD and MHA." charged the CBI report.

It also alleged that the "unlawful" manner of creation and working of the FBU caused loss of to the government exchequer to the tune of around Rs 36 lakh.

LG recommends prosecution against Sisodia

LG VK Saxena has referred the CBI request to the President through the Ministry of Home Affairs, for registration of a case against Sisodia.

The LG has also sent the CBI recommendation to Home ministry, regarding registration of cases against then FBU joint director, RK Sinha, and FBU officers Pradeep Kumar Punj and Satish Khetrapa. Approval for the prosecution against then Vigilance director, Sukesh Kumar Jain, an IRS officer, will come from the Finance ministry, they said.

The approval has, however, been given by the LG for registration of a case against Delhi Chief Minister's advisor Gopal Mohan, sources told PTI.

BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri charged that the AAP government formed the FBU by misusing public fund and indulging in a "scam".

He demanded registration of FIR against Kejriwal and Sisodia charging they had "malafide intention" behind creation of the feedback unit.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government termed "all allegations" as "completely bogus".

with PTI inputs