Delhi LG Urged to Investigate Corruption Record of IAS Shurbir Singh at RCS Office

Delhi LG Urged to Investigate Corruption Record of IAS Shurbir Singh at RCS Office

In this case, I sent a detailed representation to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) and the Chief Minister of Delhi. You can read the abridged version of the representation which is given below and help me combat crime and corruption in Delhi’s housing societies.

By Rakesh Raman

To                                                                                                                                                                July 17, 2022

1. Mr. Vinai Kumar Saxena
Lieutenant Governor (LG), Delhi Government, Delhi

2. Mr. Arvind Kejriwal
Chief Minister, Delhi Government, Delhi

Copy: Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India

Subject: Investigation of the corruption record of Mr. Shurbir Singh, IAS, Secretary (Cooperation), Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS), Delhi Government

Complaint by: Rakesh Raman

Dear Mr. Vinai Kumar Saxena,

I am a national award-winning journalist and founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation in Delhi. Along with other editorial and social projects, I run various anti-corruption campaigns and publish The Integrity Bulletin news magazine, which covers local and international corruption news and issues to engage with different stakeholders who are trying to combat corruption. 

For the past 5 years, I have also been running a community-driven online anti-corruption social service “Clean House” to help the residents of Delhi raise their voice against the growing corruption and injustice in cooperative group housing societies (CGHS) where millions of people suffer because of rampant corruption and lawlessness. 

The extreme corruption and crimes in these housing societies are being committed by the management committees (MCs) of housing societies in connivance with the corrupt officials of Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS) of Delhi Government, Delhi Police, and other government bureaucrats.

You can know the extent of massive corruption in Delhi – and particularly in housing societies – from the fact that in response to the complaints filed by me at least 10 IAS officers from DDA, RCS office, and others are facing corruption investigations at the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Cabinet Secretariat, and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.  [ See Exhibit 1 given below. ]

I had sent you a detailed letter including the names of the accused IAS officers on July 8, 2022 with the request to suspend the services of these IAS officers who are facing corruption investigations. But unfortunately – and as expected – you did not take any action. Rather, you have provided impunity to these bureaucrats to commit more corruption crimes without any fear of prosecution and conviction. 

INVESTIGATION OF SECRETARY (COOPERATION) SHURBIR SINGH

Now, I am totally shocked to learn that Mr. Shurbir Singh, IAS, has been appointed Secretary (Cooperation), Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS), Delhi Government. You must be knowing that Mr. Shurbir Singh was reportedly an accused in a massive Rs. 100-crore scam in the Delhi Nagrik Sehkari Bank. 

The following media reports and the 29-page report from the Committee of Petitions, Delhi Legislative Assembly, have raised the issue of corruption by Mr. Shurbir Singh and others.

Delhi: House panel recommends criminal proceedings against IAS officers for bank ‘scam’

The officers against whom the committee recommended action are current secretary cum registrar of the department of cooperative society (RCS), JB Singh and former RCS Shurbir Singh. Hindustan Times, January 17, 2018 [ Report Link ]

Delhi: House panel may recommend jail term for officials

The Delhi Assembly committee, probing an alleged Rs 100 crore scam in the Delhi Nagrik Sehkari Bank, could recommend action, “including jail term”, against officials in its report. The report will be submitted during the Budget session. Proceedings against the former and current registrars of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS), J B Singh and Shurbir Singh… The Indian Express, March 9, 2018 [ Report Link ]

IAS officers in HC against Delhi assembly panel’s report

The Committee of Petitions (CoP) of the Delhi assembly in its report of January 15 this year has recommended criminal proceedings against the two officers for providing “help and aid to the corrupt” in connection with alleged irregularities in Delhi Nagrik Sehkari Bank Ltd, a cooperative bank. The report was adopted by the assembly after passing of a resolution on January 17. The petitioners, former Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS) J B Singh and serving Registrar and CEO of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board Shurbir Singh, have challenged the interim report of January 15 of the CoP and its adoption by the Assembly on January 17. The Times of India, March 22, 2018 [ Report Link ]

Report by Committee of Petitions, Delhi Legislative Assembly

You can also click here to read the 29-page report dated January 17, 2018 in this case submitted by the Committee of Petitions, Delhi Legislative Assembly. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This is to inform you that in response to the complaints filed by me, a few Delhi Government bureaucrats (whose names are given below) are facing corruption investigations at the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Cabinet Secretariat, and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.

These bureaucrats are operating as part of a citywide crime and corruption racket – termed as Widehouse Corruption Scandal – which is being run in Delhi by local criminals in connivance with crooked politicians, corrupt bureaucrats, complicit police officials, dishonest members of judiciary, and builders’ mafia. While more than 20 top government bureaucrats, police officials, and members of the judiciary are involved in this criminal enterprise, at this stage some of them are facing investigations for their corrupt practices.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India, with its Office Memorandum dated 28th June 2022 has urged the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, to investigate the corruption cases of the following IAS officers through the Group of Secretaries constituted in terms of DOP&T OM No. 104/100/2009-AVD-I dated 14.01.2010. [ See Exhibit 1 given below. ]

According to the DoPT Office Memorandum, the names of the IAS officers who are facing corruption investigations are given below:

Mr. Anurag Jain. IAS (MP: 1989), former Vice Chairman, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and currently Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry

Mr. Tarun Kapoor, IAS (HP: 1987), former Vice Chairman, DDA, and Retd., Secretary M/o Petroleum and Natural Gas

Mr. Pankaj Kumar, IAS (AGMUT:2012), District Magistrate (North-East) Delhi

Mr. Devinder Singh, IAS (AGMUT:2003). former Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS), Delhi Government

Mr. Devesh Singh, IAS (AGMUT: 2008), Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS), Delhi Government

Mr. Manish Kumar Gupta, IAS (AGMUT: 1991), Vice Chairman, DDA

Mr. Sanjeev Khirwar, IAS (AGMUT:1994), former Chairman, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Government of NCT of Delhi, Delhi

Mr. Virendra Kumar, IAS (AGMUT: 2005), former Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS), Delhi Government

Ms. Garima Gupta, IAS (AGMUT:2004), former Secretary (Cooperation), Delhi Government

Mr. Tanmay Kumar, IAS (RJ: 1993), Additional Secretary, M/o Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Although these IAS officers have come in the law-enforcement dragnet, their accomplices such as junior government officers at Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the office of Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS), police officers, local criminals in housing societies, and builders’ mafia members have not yet been caught.

Widehouse Corruption Scandal: The Widehouse Scandal report that I have recently compiled details the modus operandi of senior government officials and their accomplices in builders’ mafia who have been running the crime network in Delhi. The report also reveals names of about 40 government functionaries, politicians, police officers, members of judiciary, and builders’ mafia companies involved in this crime racket of an estimated thousands of crores of rupees. 

Appeal: In order to stop corruption in Delhi, these officials and their accomplices must be jailed as early as possible because their presence in the public poses a serious threat to the citizens who want to live in a corruption-free environment.

REQUEST FOR ACTION

While I request you to thoroughly study the entire document including the blue-hyperlinked files, you are requested to take the following action in the above-stated case of Mr. Shurbir Singh, IAS, Secretary (Cooperation), Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS), Delhi Government.

1. Issue a formal notice to Mr. Shurbir Singh with the direction for him to submit his response to the allegations of corruption in the Rs. 100-crore scam in the Delhi Nagrik Sehkari Bank. If this case has been closed, then publicly release the closure report.

2. If this case has not yet been closed and if Mr. Shurbir Singh is not able to submit a satisfactory response to the allegations within a fixed timeframe (7 days), his services should be suspended in order to initiate criminal proceedings against him. 

3. Then identify Mr. Shurbir Singh’s accomplices in this alleged scam so that criminal proceedings could be initiated against them also.

4. Hold the entire investigation and prosecution process in a formal, transparent manner.

5. Put all the case details on Delhi Government website and live-stream the investigation hearings with Mr. Shurbir Singh and other accused officials.

6. Do not discard this complaint because of archaic bureaucratic reasons.

If you do not take action as requested above, you will be providing impunity to the officials so that they could commit more crimes blatantly. While this is your responsibility as the Lt. Governor (LG) or administrative head of Delhi to weed out corruption, you are requested to take immediate action (within 7 days of receiving this communication) as stated above and keep me informed at every step of the investigation and prosecution process. 

Threats to Me: As a journalist and anti-corruption activist, I have been receiving multiple threats including death threats from the criminals who want to suppress my voice. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India had directed the Delhi Police to take action so that I could be protected. The NHRC issued its latest notice on June 11, 2021 with the direction to the Commissioner of Delhi Police to investigate the matter and file its report. 

After receiving a perfunctory and false report from the corrupt police officials, the NHRC closed the case and never took action against the police or the culprits. I have again approached NHRC and other international authorities with the request to take action in order to protect me and my rights. I am in the process of updating the case to get my fundamental rights protected and to get the culprits punished.

Note: Since this is a digital document, please click the blue hyperlinks to download and study additional documents to understand various aspects of the case.

Availability: I will be available for online / virtual meetings to explain different aspects of the case to law-enforcement authorities and anti-corruption agencies.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society.

He also runs the “Clean House” anti-corruption service which works like a community court to report about crime and corruption happening in Delhi’s group housing societies.

Rakesh Raman
Editor, RMN News Service [ Website ]
Founder, RMN Foundation [ Website ]
463, DPS Apts., Plot No. 16, Sector 4
Dwarka, Phase I, New Delhi 110 078, India
WhatsApp / Mobile: 9810319059 | Contact by Email