AAP leaders produce Jaitley’s letters, allege interference in DDCA probe

The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday alleged that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, when he was Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, tried to interfere in the Delhi Police’s investigation into a case related to corruption in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

Mr. Jaitley, who was president of the DDCA for 13 years till 2013, allegedly wrote to then Delhi Police Commissioner B.K. Gupta on October 27, 2011, to ask that a probe against DDCA office-bearers be closed. 

According to the letter, which the AAP produced at a press conference, Mr. Jaitley writes that the investigation into wrongdoings related to the Syndicate Bank Cricket Club should be closed as “the DDCA had done no wrong.”

In another letter that the AAP produced, Mr. Jaitley wrote to Ranjit Narayan, then Special Commissioner in Delhi Police, on May 5, 2012, asking him to stop questioning DDCA officials in the matter.

“The complaints are unsubstantiated and do not disclose any offence. Certain office-bearers of the DDCA are feeling harassed by the repeated questioning in this regard,” reads the letter.

The letter goes on to reiterate Mr.Jaitley’s demand that the probe be closed, citing his earlier letter to the Police Commissioner. AAP leader Ashutosh said these letters proved that Mr. Jaitley had tried to stall the police’s investigation.

“On the basis of documentary evidence, it is prima facie proved that Mr. Jaitley tried to interfere in the probe. He has said that he was not involved in the day-to-day running of the DDCA being a non-executive president. But there is no such post,” said Ashutosh.

The AAP added that Mr. Jaitley was aware of the corruption in the DDCA. The party posed five questions to the Finance Minister, including whether he has misused his position as Leader of Opposition and what had led him to find the allegations unsubstantiated.