ACB summons Sisodia, Jain in case linked to construction of classrooms

On April 30, the ACB had registered an FIR against the two AAP leaders in connection with alleged corruption in the construction of 12,748 classrooms or semi-permanent structures during the previous AAP government’s tenure.

While Sisodia held the finance and education portfolios in the AAP government, Jain was the minister of health, industries, power, home, urban development, and PWD.

Following the summonses, AAP said in a statement, “This is not a scam by any stretch — it’s a calculated political ploy by the BJP. They are weaponizing institutions to attack AAP leaders and create a false narrative… When Aam Aadmi Party held power in Delhi, the BJP systematically defanged the ACB to strip it of any real authority. Today, they are using the same weakened institution as a tool to target AAP leaders and further their own agenda.”

Joint Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma, who heads the ACB, had earlier confirmed the registration of the FIR. “The Chief Technical Examiner’s report of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) pointed out several anomalies in the project, and the report was kept under the carpet for about three years. The case was registered after permission under section 17-A Prevention of Corruption Act was received from the competent authority,” he said.

In 2019, BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Harish Khurana and Neelkant Bakshi had filed a complaint alleging financial irregularities in the construction of classrooms in government schools in three zones. According to the complaint, the construction cost per room came out to approximately Rs 24.86 lakh, exponentially higher than the roughly Rs 5 lakh it takes for similar constructions in Delhi.

They also alleged that the project was awarded to 34 contractors, most of whom were associated with the AAP.

According to ACB officials, 12,748 semi-permanent structures were supposed to be built at a cost of Rs 1,200 per sqft but the cost shot up to around Rs 2,292 per sqft during construction.

This cost escalation, which BJP leaders allege was a result of corruption, is now being probed by the ACB.

Earlier, the CVC’s report in 2020 said there were violations of government financial rules, CPWD manuals, and tendering processes. These include awarding contracts to firms allegedly associated with the ruling party without proper bidding, escalating project costs by 17% to 90% without inviting fresh tenders, engaging private consultants without following due procedure and duplication of work, execution of work without demand from schools, and mismanagement of timelines and funds, the report said.

Sisodia and Jain were arrested by the CBI and ED in unrelated cases in the past and are currently out on bail. While Sisodia was arrested in the Delhi excise policy case, Jain was arrested in a money laundering case.