Satyendar Jain and five others sent to two weeks’ judicial custody in tender case

Satyendar Jain and five others sent to two weeks' judicial custody in tender case Court grants ACB two-day police custody of Ankit Srivastav; AAP leader's counsel questions the circumstances leading to his arrest a day earlier.

Key points

• Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta remarked her administration had ensured the tabling of 19 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports in the Delhi Assembly during the monsoon session.
• Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh granted the Delhi Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) two days' police custody of Ankit Srivastava, a former contractual consultant with the DJB.
• Jain's counsel questioned the circumstances leading to his arrest, pointing out that the FIR had been registered on May 10, 2024.
• For 10 years, the accounts of the DJB were not audited, and an alleged scam of almost ₹60, 000 crore took place.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah must explain why he pressured the investigating agency to obtain Satyendar Jain arrested.

AAP leader Satyendar Jain being produced before the court in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photo Credit: PTI.

Meanwhile, a Delhi court on Wednesday remanded former Water Minister and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain, former Delhi Jal Board (DJB) CEO Udit Prakash Rai and three others in 14-day judicial custody in connection with an alleged corruption case linked to the award of tenders for sewage treatment plant (STP) projects.

Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh granted the Delhi Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) two days' police custody of Ankit Srivastava, a former contractual consultant with the DJB. The court additionally sought the ACB's response to a bail application filed by Mr. Jain through his counsel during the day.

On Tuesday, the ACB arrested Mr. Jain, Mr. Rai, Mr. Srivastava and three others in connection with the case. Notably, the other accused are Nagendra Yadav, proprietor of AN Enterprises, Raja Kumar Kurra, owner of Euroteck Environment Pvt. Ltd., and Pankaj Verma, proprietor of Srijanhar.

During Wednesday's hearing, Mr. Jain's counsel questioned the circumstances leading to his arrest, pointing out that the FIR had been registered on May 10, 2024. The lawyer submitted that Mr. Jain was first pressed questioning on August 5 this year and was contacted again by phone on Tuesday before being arrested.

Meanwhile, the counsel argued that the agency had not placed any material on record warranting Mr. Jain's arrest.

Mr. Rai's lawyer additionally challenged the arrest, drawing the court's attention to the fact that the former DJB CEO is at present serving as Secretary in the Mizoram administration.

Counsel representing the other accused additionally challenged the legality and grounds of their arrests.

In practice, the arrests were created in connection with a case registered by the agency on May 10, 2024, under Sections 7, 7A, 9 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Sections 420, 409, 418 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. The case was registered after a complaint by the Delhi government's Directorate of Vigilance regarding alleged irregularities in and manipulation of the tendering process for the augmentation and upgradation of STPs in the national capital.

Notably, the allegations include manipulation of tender conditions and a criminal conspiracy resulting in large-scale irregularities.

In practice, the arrests triggered a fresh political confrontation between AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, with leaders of the two parties trading allegations.

"Union Home Minister Amit Shah must explain why he pressured the investigating agency to obtain Satyendar Jain arrested. According to An Anti Corruption Branch officer, until the morning, the ACB had no plan to arrest Satyendar Jain, " AAP national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stated in a post on X.

"Then, in the afternoon, Amit Shah directly called and ordered the arrest. He was then arrested, " he continued.

Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh remarked Mr. Jain, who is additionally the party's co-in-charge of Punjab, was arrested "by the BJP out of frustration" as the party was facing a "crushing defeat" in the State Assembly election next year.

Hitting back, Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra alleged that AAP was a politically desperate party "completely immersed in corruption" and with investigations and arrests taking place in connection with its alleged misdeeds, it was playing the political victim card.

"For 10 years, the accounts of the DJB were not audited, and an alleged scam of almost ₹60, 000 crore took place. The day the complete investigation report comes out, Arvind Kejriwal himself may possibly end up in jail, " Mr. Malhotra remarked.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta remarked her administration had ensured the tabling of 19 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports in the Delhi Assembly during the monsoon session. She remarked the reports disclosed various "scams" allegedly committed by the previous AAP administration and that action was being taken on all of them.

For now, satyendar Jain and five others sent to two weeks' judicial custody in remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.