Delhi: Accused of graft, DCW chief Maliwal gets bail in recruitment case

New Delhi: AAP leader and chief of Delhi Commission for Women Swati Maliwal was on Monday granted bail by a Special Court in a case of alleged irregularities in the recruitment process of the women’s panel.

Maliwal appeared before the court in pursuance to summons issued to her by the court on January 18.

Special Judge Hemani Malhotra said the evidence in the matter was documentary and Maliwal was not required for custodial interrogation and granted her bail on furnishing of a personal bond of Rs 20,000 and a surety of like amount.

During the hearing, the court asked the investigating officer and prosecutor Atul Shrivastava whether the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) was further probing the matter as per its direction.

To this, the IO replied in the affirmative and said it would take some time to conclude the investigation. Maliwal also told the court that she has received the copy of charge sheet and other documents.

The court had earlier taken cognisance of the charge sheet filed in the case and summoned Maliwal as accused.

The court, however, had said the probe has not identified Maliwal’s associates with whose connivance “illegal practices were adopted” and directed the police to probe their role and file supplementary charge sheet against them.

The charge sheet was filed by ACB on December 21, 2016 against Maliwal in connection with alleged irregularities in appointment of AAP workers in DCW.

The ACB had taken up the probe on a complaint by former DCW chief Barkha Shukla Singh, who had alleged that several AAP supporters were given plum posts in the women’s panel.

PTI