Delhi mayor orders removal of civic official facing corruption allegations

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has ordered the removal of an MCD official facing corruption charges and sought a probe into the allegations, a statement said on Thursday.

Oberoi also directed the MCD Commissioner to relieve the officer, Kunal Kashyap, of all responsibilities and appoint an officer of ''impeccable integrity'' in his place, her office said in the statement.

According to the complaint, Kashyap, a chief assessor and collector, purportedly provided undue favours to influential people to the tune of Rs 4 crore in a case of house tax evasion.

This has also raised suspicion about the quantum of loss faced by MCD due to such cases, the statement said.

''The allegations of house tax evasion and bribery against the chief assessor and collector are deeply troubling. Kunal Kashyap is now under investigation for allegedly ‘deliberately delaying the handling of the tax evasion case’, fuelled by allegations of bribery,'' the statement said. ''The MCD Commissioner has been instructed to withdraw all responsibilities from Kunal Kashyap and appoint an officer of impeccable integrity in his place. This step aims to uphold the principles of ethical governance within the MCD and restore public trust in its functioning,'' it added. Allegations and complaints have been received against him in several other cases, it said.

To ensure transparency and accountability, a comprehensive vigilance check has been directed on all aspects of Kashyap's work, from his date of joining until today, the mayor's office said.

Oberoi stated that the AAP government is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

''We will not tolerate corruption in any form,” she said.