Delhi Mayor suspends MCD's Chief Assessor and Collector, orders vigilance probe into alleged case against him

New Delhi [India], May 18 : Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Thursday suspended MCD's Chief Assessor and Collector Kunal Kashyap who is an accused in an alleged case of house tax evasion, the official said.

"The Mayor's office received a complaint regarding the property in Sector-9, Rama Krishna Puram, New Delhi and subsequent allegations of the officer's alleged involvement in corrupt practices," an official statement by the MCD office said.

As per the complaints, MCD's Chief Assessor and Collector Kunal Kashyap purportedly provided undue favours in the said case of house tax evasion to the tune of Rs 4 crore.

Alarmed at the scale of evasion in just one case to the tune of Rs 4 crore, the Mayor remarked that MCD must have suffered a huge dent running into thousands of crores due to other such cases, and perhaps would have been in profit had they been dealt honestly under the past governments.

Ordering action against the officer, Mayor Shelly Oberoi highlighted CM Arvind Kejriwal's zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, saying there is no scope for corrupt practices in the reformed MCD administration under the AAP Government.

Kunal Kashyap is now under investigation for allegedly 'deliberately delaying the handling of the tax evasion case', fueled by allegations of bribery.

"Allegations and complaints have been received against him in many other cases," the statement said.

Expressing deep concern over the incident, the Mayor issued a note to the Commissioner directing prompt action against the officer.

Through the note, the Mayor also emphasized the challenging financial situation faced by the MCD and denounced the actions of officers who prioritise personal gain over the greater good.

"MCD is struggling to keep afloat financially and has no funds to do public welfare work. On the other hand, such officers are foregoing huge amounts of house tax by taking bribes. Such officers should know that now the regime has changed in MCD," she noted.

"To ensure transparency and accountability, a comprehensive vigilance check has been directed on all aspects of Kunal Kashyap's work, from his date of joining until the present. This investigation aims to shed light on any potential misconduct or irregularities that may have occurred during his tenure," she said.

She further said that the 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," the Mayor added.

Giving more details about the development, Shelly Oberoi said, "The AAP Government of MCD is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability in the corporation. The allegations of house tax evasion and bribery against the Chief Assessor and Collector are deeply troubling. We will not tolerate corruption in any form."

She further said that the MCD will appoint an officer of high integrity to replace him.