Delhi LG VK Saxena has approved a recommendation for a probe against jailed former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain in a corruption case related to installation of CCTV in the city. (File photo)
Delhi LG VK Saxena has approved a recommendation for a probe against jailed former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain in a corruption case related to installation of CCTV in the city, Raj Niwas officials said on Saturday.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that the case against Jain was part of the BJP’s “merciless conspiracies” against it and the Delhi government. The BJP, on the other hand, said the sanction for investigation was “not a surprise” and was expected long ago.
In a statement, the AAP said, “The BJP is tirelessly plotting sinister conspiracies day and night against the Delhi government to stop its work.”
It was alleged that with “over 200 cases filed against AAP ministers and MPs, and the fact that our top leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister (Arvind) Kejriwal, have been sent to jail in just 10 years, this case is another step towards suppression of the AAP”.
The BJP, however, described Jain as a “master of corruption within the Delhi cabinet”.
Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in May 2022 in connection with a money laundering case. He is currently in judicial custody.
According to Raj Niwas officials, Jain allegedly received a bribe of Rs 7 crore in this case for waiving a fine of Rs 16 crore imposed on a company for delaying installation of CCTV in 70 Delhi constituencies.
Saxena accepted the Directorate of Vigilance’s proposal to refer the case under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act to the Union Home Ministry for approval of the investigation against Jain by the Anti-Corruption Department (ACB), they added.
Jain was the public works minister and the main in-charge of the project to install 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras in Delhi, which would cost Rs 571 crore, officials said.
The case against Jain is based on a September 2019 complaint by an employee of a company responsible for installing CCTV cameras. He alleged that the company arranged the kickbacks through its suppliers, officials said.
The ACB also received information from undisclosed sources corroborating the complainant’s statement, they said, adding that the ACB had recorded the complainant’s statement.
The AAP claimed in its statement that despite the large number of corruption cases filed against its leaders, the investigating agencies have not yet recovered a single penny.
“Ever since the AAP came to power (in Delhi), the BJP and its central government have done everything to undermine and paralyse the party.
“This means that the GNCTD Act is being passed against the Supreme Court order and initiatives in public interest are being marred by red tape by withholding payments for Mohalla Clinics and medicines for government hospitals,” the complaint read.
The party said this is the 201st case against AAP leaders and “like in the previous 200 cases, the BJP and its central government are trying to paralyse the Delhi government as the AAP is an extremely honest party”.
BJP’s Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva said the sanction for an inquiry into “the bribes received by Jain for the CCTV installation project was expected long ago”.
He thanked the LG for approving the probe and said, “Till the day of his arrest in 2022, Satyendra Jain was a master of corruption in the Delhi Cabinet. Therefore, the approval of the probe against him is not a surprise.”
“It is shocking to see that the Arvind Kejriwal government has indulged in corruption even in projects related to the safety of women and children, like the installation of CCTV cameras on roads in Delhi or the installation of panic buttons in public transport vehicles,” Sachdeva said.
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First print: 06 Jul 2024 | 21:58 IST