delhi

Updated: Sep 20, 2016 11:13 IST

The Capital’s anti-corruption branch (ACB) registered an FIR against Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Tuesday for allegedly hiring Aam Aadmi Party supporters to the body in violation of norms.

The police complaint came a day after the ACB questioned Maliwal for around two hours after former DCW chief Barkha Singh complained that 85 AAP supporters got jobs in the DCW without “requisite credentials”.

DCW officials said Maliwal was questioned for around two hours and was asked to submit replies for 27 questions before she was booked on Tuesday for criminal breach of trust.

Maliwal rejected the charges, saying she was being attacked because of the work the DCW had done over the past year. “Anyone who tries to change the system is attacked. This is what is happening to me.”

“If any charge of corruption is proven against me, I’ll quit life.”

She said during her tenure,the DCW had become the sole voice against women-related crimes in the city. “We followed established procedure. We hired people on a three-month short term basis to clear the thousands of cases we got this year,” she said.

“We are a powerful autonomous body with the right to hire staff.”

The complaint is likely to further ratchet up tensions between the AAP government and the Centre following a months-long bruising public battle for control of the Capital. Hours before the Maliwal FIR, another police complaint was lodged against AAP legislator Sahilram Pehelwan over an alleged assault.

The AAP blames the BJP-ruled central government of trying to sabotage the city administration by registering police complaints and FIRs against top leaders. More than 10 legislators have been arrested since the AAP stormed to power in the city last February.

Maliwal said the ACB handled 11,500 cases in the past one year and its efficiency has irked many. “The former DCW chief who complained had handled only one case. Whenever there is a rape case, DCW asks questions. This is disturbing a lot of people,” she said.

She said Singh had appointed the wives of IAS and IPS officers without any advertisement for recruitment. “But we have appointed members following due procedure. We have all the documents and we will be giving them to ACB,” she said.