Former Delhi cabinet minister and senior AAP leader Satyendar Jain has been arrested along with five others by the Delhi government’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) over alleged corruption and tender manipulation in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The action comes after an investigation into contracts awarded for upgrading and modernizing sewage treatment plants across the capital during Jain’s tenure as water minister, triggering another intense political clash between the AAP and the BJP.
According to the ACB, the arrests stem from an FIR registered in May 2024 following a complaint by the Directorate of Vigilance. The agency has invoked key provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act along with IPC sections for cheating, criminal breach of trust, and criminal conspiracy. Alongside Jain, the ACB arrested former DJB CEO and senior IAS officer Udit Prakash Rai, former consultant Ankit Srivastava, and three private individuals—Nagendra Yadav, Raja Kumar Kurra, and Pankaj Verma.
The investigation focuses on the tendering process for capacity expansion and technical upgrades at 10 major sewage treatment plants divided across four packages, including sites at Pappankalan, Nilothi, Najafgarh, Keshopur, Coronation Pillar, Narela, Rohini, and Kondli. The ACB alleged that officials colluded with private companies to tweak tender conditions, specifically mandating proprietary Integrated Fixed-film Activated Sludge (IFAS) technology with fixed media. This clause allegedly shut out open competition and favored Euroteck Environmental Pvt Ltd as the sole technology provider.
Investigators also claimed that mandatory pilot feasibility studies were skipped and effluent quality standards were modified to suit the preferred vendor. Email trails containing draft tender papers and corrigendums between officials and private intermediaries formed key evidence in the probe. The ACB further traced financial trails suggesting kickbacks and commissions worth crores were laundered through intermediary entities like AN Enterprises and Srijanhar to purchase assets. The broader financial angle has also been under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate, which earlier flagged alleged proceeds of crime exceeding ₹17 crore in the same project packages.
The arrests drew an immediate political reaction from the Aam Aadmi Party. Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal slammed the move as a politically motivated witch-hunt by the central government, asserting that the allegations are fabricated and will fail in court. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also criticized the timing of the action, linking it to political maneuvering ahead of elections.
The development marks another legal challenge for Jain, who had secured regular bail after spending extensive time in custody in a separate money-laundering case. As the ACB presents the accused before a special court to seek custody, the case is set to escalate political and administrative friction across the capital.
