‘Vindictive politics’ vs ‘proof of corruption’: AAP, BJP spar over ED chargesheet filed against Satyendar Jain

AAP also claimed that Jain had been arrested months before the period cited in the ED’s chargesheet, arguing this undermines the ED’s case against him. “ED’s own statement negates the locus standi of this case; it claims the matter pertains to October 2022, even though Satyendar Jain had already been arrested in May 2022 by the ED itself and he was neither Minister in-charge (Water) nor chairman of Delhi Jal Board at that time,” it said.

The party also accused the ED of repeatedly seeking extensions and alleges that those extensions were “because it has been unable to prove its case”. It also claimed that their earlier cases by the ED, CBI and ACB had “fallen flat in courts”.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that the prosecution’s complaint was “very strong”. “With the filing of this chargesheet against Satyendar Jain and others in the sewage treatment plant (STP) scam, there is now hope that the accused will soon be punished,” Sachdeva said.

He pointed to the attachment of assets worth Rs 15.36 crore of Jain and the others who have been accused in the matter. “In this Rs 17.70-crore embezzlement case, assets worth Rs 15.36 crore belonging to Satyendar Jain and others have been attached,” he said.

The ED case stems from alleged manipulation of tender conditions for sewage treatment plant upgrades, allowing one private firm to corner contracts.