Fresh Trouble for AAP Leaders: Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain Booked in Rs 2,000 Crore Classroom Scam
In another blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), former Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain are now under the scanner in an alleged Rs 2,000-crore scam linked to the construction of school classrooms. The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi Police has filed a new case and launched a detailed investigation into the matter.
The probe focuses on large-scale irregularities during the previous AAP government’s tenure, when over 12,000 classrooms and school buildings were constructed at what the ACB calls “exorbitant costs.” Sisodia had served as Delhi’s Education Minister, while Jain was in charge of the Public Works Department (PWD) that executed the construction.
ACB chief Madhur Verma stated that contracts were awarded to 34 contractors, many of whom reportedly had links to the AAP. The structures were built as Semi-Permanent Structures (SPS), supposedly lasting 30 years, yet the cost matched that of permanent pucca buildings designed to last 75 years.
The agency alleges that consultants and architects were hired without proper tendering processes, further inflating the project’s cost. Delays in construction and cost escalations added fuel to the controversy.
The issue came to light following complaints from BJP leaders, which prompted the ACB to investigate. A report by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), allegedly kept under wraps for nearly three years, flagged several financial and procedural irregularities. It noted that the construction cost rose to Rs 2,292 per sq ft—comparable to concrete buildings—despite the use of SPS.
The ACB is also investigating the involvement of unidentified government officials and contractors, suggesting that the scam may be wider than initially suspected.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
