Delhi Police file FIR after Special Secy alleges confidential files photocopied in his absence

New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) Delhi Police have registered an FIR against unidentified persons after the Special Secretary (Vigilance), Y.V.V.J. Rajasekhar, claimed that sensitive files and documents from his office were removed without any authorisation.

Rajasekhar had claimed that on the directions of a city government minister, files in the record room, some of which were confidential, were photocopied on May 15 night and the process went on till 3 a.m. on May 16.

According to the IAS officer, Buniyad Singh, Assistant Director (Vigilance), had rang him up at 9.14 p.m on Monday and informed that officials have been summoned to open his room for the sake of collection of records.

"The undersigned seriously objected to such a call for taking away the records as per the alleged instructions of the minister at midnight and strongly objected not to indulge in such an act. However, it is understood from preliminary inquiry that Manish (MTS) opened the room and allegedly photocopied all the records till 3 a.m.," read the letter by Rajasekhar addressed to Secretary Vigilance/Chief Secretary, Delhi.

Rajasekhar further claimed that he is not sure whether any file was taken away or otherwise tempered with or photocopied.

The Special Secretary said that he is apprehensive that the records will be destroyed or might have been already destroyed.

Rajasekhar claimed that he had also instructed all the assistant directors not to indulge in such kind of insubordination at the instance of the minister (vigilance).

"Officers cannot take verbal instructions from a minister, as we are not in a disaster or emergency situation," the letter read.

He claimed that there were about 76 files in the 'confidential section' and the same were sent to the Secretary (Vigilance) according to the instructions of the minister (vigilance) without examining them.

Vigilance Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, in a tweet, claimed that Vigilance Secretary Suhdir Kumar had informed in a report to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar on May 16 that "shadow files" of documents in Rajasekhar's office were created on his directions.

"Mr Sudhir Kr, Sec Vigilance, was appointed by L-G, not us. He had clearly written on 16.5.2023 to CS Mr Naresh Kr that shadow files were created on his directions. Nothing to do with Minister & it was in knowledge of his junior Mr Rajshekhar. Still false FIR against unknown," Bharadwaj said in a tweet while sharing a portion of the purported report.

According to the police, the complaint was received from Rajasekhar on May 31 following which an FIR was registered on Thursday at the IP Estate police station.

The police have registered the case under various sections of IPC, including Section 380 (theft), Section 464 (making false documents), Section 465 (forgery), and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy).

"In his complaint, Rajasekhar alleged that he was in possession of some confidential record/files including files/records relating to some important cases being investigated by central agencies. In the intervening night of 15/16.05.23, some confidential record/files were unauthorisedly taken from his office located in Delhi Secretariat and photocopied and during that some important evidence/files/records might have been destroyed or taken away," said a senior police officer.

"Rajasekhar also claimed that a 'frivolous complaint' was made against him using the name and letter head of the NGO Abhinav Samaj. The forged letter head of Abhinav Samaj was prepared and a false complaint was filed to tarnish his image," the officer added.