The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids on Wednesday at 37 locations linked to private contractors in Delhi and NCR. The raids are part of an investigation into an alleged scam worth Rs 2,000 crore related to the irregularities in construction of classrooms.
What is the ‘classroom construction scam’ about?
The ED has launched raids in connection with a money laundering case linked to the construction of over 12,000 classrooms and semi-permanent structures in Delhi government schools. The case involves alleged financial irregularities of around Rs 2,000 crore during the time of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government.
The ED’s investigation is based on a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Delhi Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on April 30 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Former Delhi ministers and senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain are named in the case. However, it is still unclear if any other politicians were raided and if they are being investigated.
“The scam involves construction of around 12,748 school rooms at a very high and inflated construction cost. The total cost incurred for constructing the school rooms/buildings is around Rs 2,892.65 crore,” the document says, as per multiple media reports.
The CBI had earlier claimed that Sisodia, who was the Education Minister at the time, and Satyendar Jain, then the PWD Minister, had either planned the scam or ignored it despite knowing about the highly inflated costs, as per media reports. The complaint also mentions violations of rules, such as making early payments and not following Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines.
Sisodia is already being investigated in a separate case related to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi liquor policy. Jain is also facing a separate probe by the Enforcement Directorate for allegedly owning assets beyond his known sources of income.