The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi approved an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigation against Satyendar Jain in a bribery case. Jain, the former Public Works Department Minister, is accused of accepting a Rs.7 crore bribe to waive a Rs.16 crore penalty imposed on Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). The penalty was for the delayed installation of 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras across Delhi’s 70 Assembly constituencies. The project, costing Rs. 571 crore, aimed to enhance surveillance in the city.
New Delhi: Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, VK Saxena, granted approval on Saturday for an investigation into former Delhi minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader, Satyendar Jain, who currently incarcerated, in connection with a corruption case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
This inquiry pertains to the installation of CCTV cameras across the city. Jain, who is already in jail due to a money laundering case, faces allegations of accepting a bribe of Rs 7 crore related to a Rs 571 crore project aimed at installing CCTVs in 70 assembly constituencies.
According to the LG’s office,
“LG agreed with the proposal of DoV to refer the matter under Section 17 A of the PoC Act, 1998 to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for approving an investigation against Jain by ACB.”
Satyendar Jain accused of accepting a bribe to waive a Rs 16 crore penalty imposed on a company for delays in the CCTV installation project. As the PWD minister and the nodal authority for the project, Jain oversaw the installation of 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras in Delhi, a project costing Rs 571 crore. He stepped down from his ministerial position in February 2023, a few months following his arrest on money laundering charges.
The Delhi minister and AAP leader accused the BJP of constantly conspiring against the Delhi government. Responding to the LG’s approval, Atishi termed it “another fake case.”
She stated,
“BJP is engaged in conspiracy against the Delhi government day and night. More than 200 cases were filed against Aam Aadmi Party leaders in 10 years. But to date, not a single rupee of corruption has been recovered from anywhere.”
She further added,
“Now this is another fake case. BJP wants to paralyze the Delhi government.”
In May 2022, former Delhi minister Satyendar Kumar Jain apprehended by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering investigation. This case initiated from an August 2017 FIR filed by the CBI, which accused Jain and others of holding disproportionate assets.
According to the ED, Jain engaged in money laundering activities by acquiring, possessing, concealing, and utilizing Rs 4.8 crore, while falsely claiming it as untainted money.
The ED’s statement at the time declared that a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) issued,
“Attach immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to Akinchan Developers Pvt. Ltd.; Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd; Paryas Infosolutions Pvt. Ltd.; Manglayatan Projects Pvt. Ltd.; J.J. Ideal Estate Pvt. Ltd.; Swati Jain, wife of Vaibhav Jain; Sushila Jain, wife of Ajit Prasad Jain; and Indu Jain, wife of Sunil Jain.”
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Investigations revealed,
“During the period 2015-16, when Satyendar Kumar Jain, a public servant, the companies beneficially owned and controlled by him received accommodation entries amounting to Rs 4.81 crore from shell (paper) companies. This facilitated by cash transferred to Kolkata-based entry operators through the hawala route.”
This investigation into Satyendar Jain by the ACB, under the directive of the Lieutenant Governor, poised to be a landmark case in the fight against corruption in Delhi’s political sphere. The outcome of this probe will be closely watched by both the public and political analysts, as it may set a precedent for how allegations of this nature are addressed in the future.