Delhi Classroom Corruption Probe Tightens Around AAP Ministers

In an intense development concerning the alleged classroom construction corruption scandal, the Delhi Police's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has taken significant strides by recording statements from nearly 20 individuals, including engineers, contractors, and officials within the Education Department. Sources suggest that an architect, whose bank account intriguingly received money from contractors, has also been questioned. The absence of an officially appointed architect for this government initiative questions the legitimacy of fund transfers to this individual's account, thus becoming a pivotal aspect of the investigation.

Prior to the anticipated questioning of former Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, ACB authorities have conducted a thorough and meticulously detailed inquiry. Engineers have been specially engaged to evaluate financial losses related to classroom construction. Earlier correspondence by the ACB to the Chief Technical Examiner requested expert guidance to dissect the technical intricacies of the case, aiming to identify any deliberate inflation of costs or procedural anomalies during construction.

With comprehensive preparations and numerous testimonies secured, the investigation seems poised to scrutinize the two ex-ministers more closely. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has issued summonses to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain amidst allegations of a Rs 2,000 crore corruption scheme linked to the construction of government school classrooms.

Minister Satyendar Jain and ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia have been summoned to appear before the ACB on June 6 and June 9, respectively. This action follows a complaint lodged by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesman Harish Khurana, BJP MLA Kapil Mishra, and Neelkanth Bakshi from BJP's Media Relations Department, accusing the AAP ministers of inflating costs associated with building semi-permanent classrooms, according to a statement from Deputy Commissioner of Police (ACB) Shweta Singh Chauhan.

Chauhan revealed that the investigation identified substantial cost overruns and breaches of procurement regulations, involving 34 contractors linked to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Speaking to ANI, Chauhan stated, "We've received a complaint against former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and former PWD Minister Satyendar Jain... the alleged scam exceeds Rs 2,000 crore. The semi-permanent classrooms incurred a cost estimate of about Rs 24,00,000 each, surpassing the market rate at that time."

The complaint highlights irregularities in the construction of about 12,748 classrooms, with expenses reported at Rs 2,892 crore. The tenders awarded pegged the cost per classroom at approximately Rs 24.86 lakh, whereas similar structures in Delhi's market could reportedly be erected for close to Rs five lakh, according to the complainants' claims. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)