Court grants bail to AAP leader Satyendar Jain in Delhi Jal Board corruption case

A Delhi court granted bail to AAP leader Satyendar Jain in the Delhi Jal Board sewage tender case. The relief came as the Anti-Corruption Branch pursued alleged tender manipulation and AAP called the arrest political.

In Short

• Five other accused were produced, with most sent to judicial custody
• Former consultant Ankit Srivastava was remanded to two days of police custody
• Investigators allege tender clauses favoured Euroteck, restricting competition and giving advantage

A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former minister Satyendar Jain in connection with an alleged corruption case involving irregularities in the tendering process for sewage treatment plant (STP) projects of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

Special Judge (PC Act) Digvinay Singh of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order, providing relief to Jain after his arrest by the Delhi government's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB).

Jain was arrested along with five others on August 18 in a case registered on May 11, 2024, following a complaint by the Directorate of Vigilance.

The other accused arrested in the case are former Delhi Jal Board CEO and IAS officer Udit Prakash Rai, former contractual consultant Ankit Srivastava, AN Enterprises proprietor Nagendra Yadav, Euroteck Environment Pvt Ltd owner Raja Kumar Kurra and Srijanhar proprietor Pankaj Verma.

The case relates to alleged manipulation of the tendering process for the augmentation and upgradation of sewage treatment plants operated by the DJB.

The ACB has alleged that tender conditions contained restrictive technical specifications intended to favour Euroteck Environment Pvt Ltd, thereby limiting competition and giving an undue advantage to the company.

Investigators have further alleged that the proposed pilot study was not conducted and that certain conditions relating to technology and materials were incorporated into the tender.

The agency also claimed that important parameters concerning treated wastewater were omitted, and technical specifications altered, resulting in significant financial implications for the government.

The probe has also focused on alleged communications between private parties, government officials and intermediaries before the tender was formally issued.

According to the ACB, electronic evidence showed that tender conditions, corrigendums and other documents were allegedly discussed and exchanged in advance.

The agency has additionally alleged a financial nexus involving intermediary entities, including Srijanhar and AN Enterprises. It claimed that funds originating from entities linked to Euroteck were routed through intermediaries and ultimately reached government officials and their relatives.

The ACB has specifically alleged that Rai received Rs 1.52 crore in his and his relatives' bank accounts through AN Enterprises, with the money allegedly later used for purchasing immovable property.

Jain, however, has denied the allegations and the AAP has described his arrest as politically motivated. Party leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, questioned how Jain could be held responsible for the tender process and alleged that the case was linked to the forthcoming Punjab Assembly elections, where Jain is the party's co-in-charge.

Jain had earlier been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering case in 2022 and spent months in custody before securing bail in 2024.

With the court now granting him bail, the ACB's investigation into the alleged tender manipulation, money trail and the possible role of other individuals is expected to continue. The agency is likely to examine further evidence and financial transactions as the case progresses.

- Ends