The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on Tuesday filed an FIR against Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal, a day after grilling her for over two hours in connection with allegations of “illegal” recruitment in the women’s panel. A team of five ACB officials reached her office at 11 am and handed her a questionnaire comprising 27 questions. She has been given one week to answer the question asked by ACB.
The probe against Maliwal has been initiated after a complaint was lodged by former DCW chief Barkha Shukla Singh who accused the former of appointing several AAP supporters at “plum posts” in the women’s panel. In her complaint she has listed 85 people, who she claims, got jobs without “requisite credentials”.
Maliwal while talking to the media said, “I have been asked 27 questions and given a week’s time to reply. We have been asked how we did so many appointments to the women’s panel. In a way, they are asking how did we manage to do so much work?”
She also termed the probe as an “attempt” to “silence” the women’s panel that has been raising a lot of questions.
“In one year, we have handled 11,500 cases and attended 2.25 lakh calls on helpline number 181. The former DCW chief handled only one case. DCW asks questions whenever a rape is reported. This is disturbing a lot of people. But we will continue to raise questions,” she said
Assuring full cooperation she also said that each the appointments in her tenure have been made following the “due procedure” and nobody was being given any “benefit”.