In yet another setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi, the Vigilance Department has terminated the services of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s personal secretary, Bibhav Kumar, citing “illegal appointment.” The termination comes in light of a 2007 case against Bibhav for assault and obstruction of a public servant’s duty, for which no background check was reportedly conducted before his employment.

Adding to the woes, Bibhav Kumar was recently summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. The ED has alleged that Bibhav Kumar, along with other accused, including former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, was involved in the destruction or manipulation of evidence related to kickbacks worth thousands of crores of rupees in the excise policy scam.

AAP leader Jasmine Shah expressed concern over the situation, stating, “First, the Delhi CM is arrested in the fake Delhi liquor case. Now, the LG has started sacking his entire staff, including his private secretary.” On the other hand, BJP leader Kapil Mishra welcomed Bibhav’s removal, citing illegal appointment and ongoing corruption investigations.

Meanwhile, another AAP MLA, Amanatullah Khan, is facing imminent arrest as the ED prepares to take action in a separate money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in appointments in the Delhi Waqf Board. The ED has sought a non-bailable arrest warrant against Khan and has filed a charge sheet against four individuals, including three alleged associates of the Okhla MLA.

The court has scheduled a hearing for April 18 to consider the ED’s request, as the agency seeks more time to submit supporting documents. Khan had previously failed to comply with summons issued by the ED for questioning on multiple occasions, leading to a summons for trial on April 20.