Delhi Court Sends Ex-Minister Satyendar Jain, Four Others to Judicial Custody
A Delhi court on Wednesday sent former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, former Delhi Jal Board (DJB) CEO Udit Prakash Rai, and three others to 14-day judicial custody in connection with an alleged corruption case involving the tendering process for sewage treatment plant (STP) projects of the DJB. The court also remanded a former contractual consultant with the DJB, Ankit Srivastava, to two days of police custody.
Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court passed the order after the accused were produced before him following their arrest by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on Tuesday night. The court also issued a notice to the ACB on a bail plea filed on behalf of Mr. Jain, with a reasoned order awaited.
Other accused in the case—private individuals Nagendra Yadav, Raja Kumar Kurra, and Pankaj Verma—were also sent to judicial custody along with Mr. Jain and Mr. Rai. All five will remain in judicial custody until September 2, 2026, unless the court orders otherwise.
The case was registered in May 2024 based on a complaint by the Directorate of Vigilance, alleging large-scale irregularities, manipulation of tender conditions, and criminal conspiracy in the tendering process for the augmentation and upgradation of DJB's sewage treatment plants. The ACB has been investigating these allegations, which involve multiple projects and significant financial implications for the Delhi government's water management infrastructure.
Mr. Jain, a senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former health and power minister of Delhi, has been in legal trouble before. He was arrested in 2022 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a separate money laundering case linked to alleged hawala transactions. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court in April 2024 after spending more than two years in custody. The current case, however, stems from a separate complaint related to the DJB tenders.
The ACB's investigation contends that the tender conditions were allegedly tailored to favour specific bidders, and that procedural norms were circumvented during the award of contracts. The accused have denied any wrongdoing, with Mr. Jain's counsel arguing that the allegations are politically motivated and that the case is a continuation of a vendetta by central agencies against AAP leaders.
Legal experts point out that the court's decision to grant police custody for Mr. Srivastava indicates that the investigating agency needs to confront him for further interrogation, possibly to uncover the roles of others involved in the alleged conspiracy. The outcome of the bail hearing for Mr. Jain, which is expected in the coming days, will be closely watched.
This development comes amidst ongoing political friction between the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government and the central government, which controls the Anti-Corruption Branch. The ACB, which functions under the Lieutenant Governor's jurisdiction, has registered several cases against AAP leaders in recent years, leading to accusations of overreach by the central administration.
The case highlights broader concerns about transparency and accountability in public procurement processes. The DJB, which handles Delhi's water and sewage infrastructure, has faced scrutiny in the past for alleged irregularities in its contracting practices. This judicial proceeding is expected to examine evidence related to tender manipulation and the involvement of public servants and private contractors, with implications for governance and anti-corruption efforts in the national capital.
