Enforcement Directorate Raids Expose Rs 2,000 Crore Classroom Construction Scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) executed a series of searches in Delhi on Wednesday, targeting multiple locations as part of their probe into an alleged Rs 2,000 crore classroom construction scam conducted during the erstwhile Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. These actions follow a freshly registered criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on a First Information Report (FIR) from the Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB).

Sources indicate that the ED's efforts extended to at least 37 sites linked to contractors and private entities allegedly involved in the fiscal misappropriations. The ACB's FIR had earlier named AAP stalwarts, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, in connection with the financial discrepancies relating to the construction of over 12,000 school classrooms in the capital, with costs reportedly unjustifiably inflated.

The AAP has refuted claims of corruption, suggesting that these probes are politically motivated and designed to undermine party leaders. Despite the political friction, the ACB continues to accuse key figures like Sisodia and Jain, attributing grave financial misdealings involving contractors allegedly affiliated with the AAP. The scandal has brought attention to serious procedural oversights, significantly exceeding government spending norms, according to confidential sources.

(With inputs from agencies.)