NEW DELHI: The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has ordered a thorough probe into the expenses incurred on renovations and luxury upgrades at 6 Flagstaff Bungalow, the former residence of ex-Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The CVC has directed the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to investigate allegations that building norms were violated to construct a lavish mansion, dubbed ‘Sheesh Mahal,’ spanning 40,000 square yards (8 acres).
The decision to launch the probe came on February 13, following a factual report submitted by the CPWD based on a complaint by BJP leader Vijender Gupta.
Gupta first raised concerns on October 14, 2024, alleging unauthorized construction at Kejriwal’s former official residence. His complaint stated that government properties, including Plot Nos. 45 and 47 on Rajpur Road—previously occupied by senior officials and judges in Type-V flats—as well as two bungalows (8-A & 8-B, Flag Staff Road), were demolished and merged into the new structure. He claimed that the construction violated ground coverage and floor area ratio (FAR) norms and proceeded without proper layout approvals.
Following the complaint, the CVC registered the case for examination on October 16. A month later, in November 2024, it forwarded the matter to the CPWD for further scrutiny, assuring that appropriate action would be taken based on the findings.
On October 21, Gupta filed another complaint with the Vigilance Commission, this time focusing on the alleged misuse of public funds for extravagant renovations and interior decorations at Kejriwal’s residence.
He accused the former CM of spending crores of taxpayers’ money on luxury amenities, far exceeding reasonable limits, raising serious concerns about financial irregularities.
Taking note of the allegations, the CVC acknowledged the seriousness of the matter on November 5. Later, on December 5, the CPWD’s chief vigilance Officer (CVO) submitted a factual report based on Gupta’s complaint, which ultimately led to the CVC’s decision to launch a full-scale investigation.
‘CMO office on X’
Meanwhile, a fresh controversy erupted over the renaming of the official social media handle of the chief minister’s Office (CMO) on X. The Delhi government wrote to the platform on Friday, requesting the restoration of the “@CMODelhi” handle, which had been renamed “@KejriwalAtWork,” allegedly on the instructions of AAP leaders.
The move comes a day after the BJP urged lieutenant governor VK Saxena to intervene. In an email to X, the CMO stated that the verified handle, which had approximately 9.9 lakh followerswas altered despite the established practice of passing official accounts to successors.
“To prevent misuse in the future, we request X to restore ‘@CMODelhi’ and provide access credentials to the official government email ID cmdelhi@nic.in,” the letter stated, further asking for the immediate deactivation of any unauthorized accounts using the same handle.
The BJP alleged that AAP leaders orchestrated the renaming of the CMO handle. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva accused acting CM Atishi and IT department officials of illegally converting the official government account into a personal one for Kejriwal’s use.
Sachdeva also claimed that Atishi misused her position by holding a press conference accusing the BJP of orchestrating power cuts in Delhi.
“She must be prevented from making misleading statements while serving in a caretaker capacity,” he stated in a letter to the Lieutenant Governor.