The Delhi government has asked its Anti Corruption Branch, ACB, to file criminal cases against Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Veerappa Moily, former Union Minister Murli Deora, Reliance Industries Chiarman Mukesh Ambani and others in the alleged irregularities in gas pricing.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi today, Mr Kejriwal said, the Anti Corruption Branch, has also been directed to register a case against former Director General of Hydrocarbons V K Sibal.

He demanded that the price hike in natural gas, which is to be hiked from 1st April this year, should be kept in abeyance. He said that he will write to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr Moily in this regard.

Mr Kejriwal alleged that the set target for Reliance Industries was to produce 80 million units but it produced even less than 18 per cent.

The price of gas from April, under the revised formula, is estimated to be 8.2 to 8.4 dollars per million British Thermal Unit as against the current 4.2 dollars.

AIR correspondent reports, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs last year approved the Rangarajan formula for pricing domestic gas at an average of international gas hub price and actual cost of importing gas into India.

When asked whether Delhi Government has jurisdiction to probe the matter, the Chief minister said, the existing rules empower the Anti Corruption Branch to take up the probe into complaints of corruption alleged to have taken place within its territorial jurisdiction. He added Anti Corruption Branch enjoys concurrent powers like the CBI to investigate corruption cases.

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Veerappa Moily rejected Kejriwal's allegations. Talking to reporters outside Parliament today, Mr Moily said price fixing of petroleum products is not done arbitrarily but on the basis of expert advice. The Minister also said he took special interest to ensure that the CNG and PNG prices are reduced.

CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta welcomed Arvind Kejriwal government's move to file criminal cases. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Mr Dasgupta said, government's decision to hike gas prices will seriously affect the power and fertiliser sectors.