Former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain granted bail in corruption case

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain was granted bail by a Delhi court in the alleged multi-crore sewage treatment plant (STP) tender scam being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB). A detailed order is awaited. Jain, former Delhi Jal Board (DJB) CEO Udit Prakash Rai, and four others were arrested in connection with the case on August 18.

The case The ACB’s probe focused on a specific contract to upgrade Delhi’s STPs in 2022 when Jain was Water Minister. It claimed the tender conditions and the scope of work were changed to increase the cost and benefit the company that won the contract. It also claimed money was routed through intermediaries allegedly linked to Jain and Rai; the latter has been accused of taking bribes worth Rs 1.5 crore.

The ACB claimed the tendering process was allegedly manipulated to restrict competition and favour Euroteck Environment (EEPL), which was eventually awarded the contract to upgrade and augment five STPs in Nilothi, Najafgarh, Narela and Kondli between 2021 and 2022. The ACB probe also claimed that augmentation costs were included in the project that was meant to upgrade some STPs.

Upgradation improves the quality of treatment, while augmentation increases an STP’s capacity to process larger volumes of wastewater. The ACB also alleged that Jain altered the technical proposal for augmentation of the Rohini STP from 15 MGD to 25 MGD, and that he “approved the enhancement” without any “technical recommendation or feasibility study”.

It claimed that the Rohini and Narela STPs were included in the project while Okhla Phase V STP was excluded, which allegedly resulted in an estimated cost escalation of approximately Rs 123 crore. Terming Jain’s decisions “arbitrary”, the ACB said they were “taken without adequate technical justification”.

The four others arrested in the case are DJB’s former contractual consultant Ankit Srivastava; proprietor of M/s AN Enterprises Nagendra Yadav; owner of M/s Euroteck Environment Pvt. Ltd Raj Kumar Kurra; and proprietor of M/s Srijanhar Pankaj Verma. Verma was Jain’s neighbour, as per the ACB.

The other accused are in custody and their bail pleas are pending before the court.