Satyendar Jain Arrested In Delhi Jal Board Tender Case; AAP Calls Action ‘Political’
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in connection with alleged irregularities in the tendering process of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
The case relates to tenders issued for the upgradation of sewage treatment plants. According to the ACB, its investigation uncovered alleged manipulation of tender conditions, restrictive technical specifications and a suspected criminal conspiracy aimed at favouring a particular technology provider.
Jain is among six people arrested in the case. The others include former DJB CEO Udit Prakash Rai, former contractual consultant Ankit Srivastava, Nagendra Yadav of AN Enterprises, Euroteck Environment Pvt Ltd owner Raja Kumar Kurra and Srijanhar proprietor Pankaj Verma.
The ACB said intermediaries were allegedly used to route funds during the tender process. Investigators have also alleged that Rai received ₹1.52 crore in his own and relatives’ bank accounts through channels linked to AN Enterprises, with the money allegedly being used to purchase immovable property.
Authorities further alleged that the tender conditions were structured in a way that favoured Euroteck Environment Pvt Ltd. The ACB said a proposed pilot study was not conducted and certain important parameters relating to treated wastewater were left out of the tender specifications.
The arrests have triggered a fresh political confrontation in Delhi.
The AAP has strongly rejected the allegations against Jain and described his arrest as politically motivated. The party pointed out that Jain was in jail when the tendering process in question allegedly took place and questioned how he could be held responsible for decisions made during that period.
AAP National Media In-charge Anurag Dhanda alleged that the arrest was linked to upcoming political developments in Punjab. AAP chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also criticised the action, calling the case politically driven and maintaining that the allegations would eventually be proven false.
The BJP, however, has defended the investigation and accused the AAP government of corruption. Former Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachdeva said the case exposed what he described as the party’s alleged corruption in the Delhi Jal Board.
Jain’s latest arrest comes nearly two years after he secured regular bail in a separate money laundering case. He was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in May 2022 and spent a prolonged period in custody before being released on bail in 2024.
The latest case is now under investigation, with authorities examining the alleged tender manipulation, money trail and roles of all those arrested.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
