Delhi Additional Chief Secretary Ashwani Kumar said here on Monday that the allegations of Delhi’s Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar’s involvements in land acquisition on Dwarka Expressway were false and added that the city’s top official was facing character assassination.

“This press conference is being done because several misconceptions and lies are being spread and it is necessary that facts be presented and the truth reaches out to people in this regard,” Kumar said.

Speaking on the land compensation at Bamnoli in the South West district on the Dwarka Expressway, he said the chief secretary had no role in awarding (the contract) or the arbitration, the official rather made proactive efforts for action to be taken in matter.

He said part of the land acquired by the South West district was done in 2017, as the land was being acquired by the NHAI for the road project.

It was in 2018, the ADM awarded compensation and there was arbitration submitted against the compensation, which was handled by the District Collector/DM.

Kumar said since such cases are decided by a DM-level official, they do not reach the chief secretary, who is the head of the civil services here.

The additional chief secretary further said on 18 May 2023, during an inspection, it was found that compensation awarded was multiple times from what it should be. On May 19, a meeting took place and the concerned DM was asked to produce facts as unprecedented compensation awarded in this regard. On 2 June, we submitted our report, saying whatever compensation was awarded was not right, and the report was submitted to the chief secretary, invoking immediate action to undo what was done wrong.

Later, he said the DM acknowledged that there was a mistake but the time just went by and he did not take required action, and the matter landed in the high court, where the DM’s order was quashed, Kumar added.

On Saturday, Delhi Vigilance Minister Atishi initiated an inquiry into the alleged corruption to the tune of Rs 315 crore involving Naresh Kumar’s son in connection with the land acquisition on Dwarka Expressway on a complaint forwarded by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the vigilance minister on Friday.

According to sources, Atishi had written to the Director of Vigilance and Divisional Commissioner regarding the alleged corruption involving Naresh Kumar and has asked to submit all files regarding the land acquisition in Bamnoli Village for the said expressway project by Saturday evening.

Initially, the complaint of irregularities in the land acquisition was made to the CM.