Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 13: Former Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain face fresh legal trouble as the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved proceedings against them in corruption cases linked to the Education and Public Works Departments (PWD).
The approval follows a request from the Delhi government's Vigilance Department, initially made in 2021 under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. This section mandates prior authorization from a competent authority before a police officer can initiate any probe into allegations against a public servant. With the MHA’s clearance, the matter has now been forwarded to the office of Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena, opening the way for further investigation and potential questioning of the two former ministers.
Sisodia and Jain, who spent over 17 months in custody on corruption and money laundering charges linked to the excise policy and alleged financial irregularities, are currently out on bail. Both leaders suffered electoral defeats in last month’s Assembly elections. Following the BJP's landslide victory, newly elected Chief Minister Rekha Gupta vowed to scrutinize alleged corruption cases from the previous AAP administration.
The allegations stem from an investigation into the construction of 2,405 classrooms in 193 Delhi government schools under the AAP-led administration. The Vigilance Department flagged "glaring irregularities," procedural violations, and cost overruns amounting to nearly Rs 1,300 crore. It recommended that accountability be established for officials in the Education Department and PWD involved in financial mismanagement.
According to findings, the project, initiated in April 2015 under the directive of then-Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saw its estimated requirement of classrooms inexplicably inflated to 7,180 across 194 schools—nearly three times the original projection. A complaint filed in August 2019 triggered a deeper inquiry, revealing that construction costs surged by up to 90% under the pretext of "richer specifications" without competitive tendering. The Delhi government reportedly sanctioned an additional Rs 500 crore in cost escalations without issuing fresh tenders.
Investigations uncovered discrepancies in the tendering process, with contract values increasing between 17% and 90% after being awarded. With the approval to proceed now in place, Sisodia and Jain are likely to face renewed legal scrutiny as authorities move forward with the probe.