‘Sheesh Mahal’ row: CVC orders probe into Arvind Kejriwal’s former bungalow over renovation irregularities
The Central Vigilance Commission has ordered a probe into the renovations of former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, 6, Flagstaff bungalow, on the basis of a factual report submitted by the CPWD.
The probe into 6 Flagstaff Bungalow renovations was ordered on February 13. The central public works department (CPWD) conducted a thorough investigation into the allegations that “building norms were flouted to construct a lavish mansion covering 40,000 square years (8 acres)” and submitted a factual report to the CVC, news agency ANI reported.
The renovated bungalow was the official residence of the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, during his tenure as the capital’s chief minister from 2015 till October 2024, when he vacated the mansion after resigning from the post.
BJP’s demand to LG Saxena
This comes just days after the Bharatiya Janata Party asked Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to cancel the merger of four properties with the ‘Sheesh Mahal’.
Kejriwal’s residence, which the saffron party as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi described as ‘Sheesh Mahal’ was a key political weapon that it used against AAP and his supremo over corruption issues during the campaign for the recently held assembly elections in Delhi.
New elected BJP MLA Vijender Gupta said that the the bungalow was expanding by merging four government properties, adding that he has written to the LG for cancelling the same.
The AAP supremo transformed the bungalow into “an ultra-luxurious ‘Sheesh Mahal’ by “illegally annexing” neighbouring government properties, Gupta said in his letter.
He further charged, “The scope of these unauthorized alterations is particularly concerning. What was meant to be a standard official residence has been transformed into a lavish complex spanning more than 50,000 square meters.”
He said that the properties merged with 6, Flagstaff road bungalow included, eight Type-V flats at 45 and 47 Rajpur Road, and the two government bungalows (8-A and 8-B Flag Staff Road).
“I urgently request your intervention to restore these properties to their original independent status and return 6-lag Staff Road to its previous area of less than 10,000 square meters,” he said.
PM Modi had earlier slammed Kejriwal for leaving people out to hang dry while he built a “Sheesh Mahal” and compared that the BJP has been focused on providing a roof to the homeless.