'DDCA scam': Delhi government appoints inquiry commission

The Delhi cabinet on Monday approved setting up of a one-member commission of inquiry under former solicitor general Gopal Subramanium to probe the alleged irregularities in Delhi and District Cricket Association.

The cabinet also decided to call a special session of Delhi assembly on Tuesday to discuss the DDCA issue and the last week's Central Bureau of Investigation raid on the Delhi secretariat.

The decisions were taken at a cabinet meeting, presided by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

'The Delhi cabinet resolves to set up commission of inquiry on the DDCA scam. Special session of the assembly tomorrow to discuss the DDCA scam and the CBI raids on Delhi secretariat,' Kejriwal tweeted.

The decision to form the commission of inquiry came amid the Aam Aadmi Party's fierce attack on Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over alleged irregularities in the DDCA during his 13-year tenure its chief. Jaitley has strongly rubbished the allegations.

"We will present a resolution in the House to approve setting up of the commission of inquiry," said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Following a CBI raid on the Delhi secretariat in connection with charges against Kejriwal's Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar, the AAP has been claiming that the central agency carried out the searches to target the AAP chief and was looking for a file relating to the alleged graft in DDCA.

Since then, the party has been demanding resignation of Jaitley from the Union Cabinet.

The decision to appoint the committee came a month after an AAP government-appointed probe committee recommended immediate suspension of the DDCA by the Board of Cricket Control of India for alleged irregularities, including financial bungling.

The Delhi government panel had suggested that an interim committee of professional cricketers should manage affairs of the game in the capital.

The committee had also recommended to the government to appoint a commission of inquiry under the Commission of Inquiry Act while mentioning about findings on the DDCA's alleged wrongdoings by various probe panels in the recent past, including the Serious Fraud Investigation Office.

Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament Kirti Azad, who has been campaigning against alleged corruption in Delhi’s cricket body, on Monday demanded a probe by the Enforcement Directorate and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence into the affairs of DDCA.