The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday carried out raids at around 37 locations across the National Capital Region (NCR), including several premises of private contractors. The raids are part of a growing investigation into alleged irregularities worth ₹2,000 crore in the construction of school classrooms in Delhi a case in which Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain are now under official scrutiny.
These developments follow a first information report (FIR) filed by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi government. In March, President Droupadi Murmu granted approval to ACB under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, allowing it to probe Sisodia and Jain for their alleged roles during their tenure as Education Minister and PWD Minister, respectively.
₹2,892 Crore Spent on 12,748 Classrooms
According to documents cited in the ACB’s sanction request, the case revolves around a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Harish Khurana, Kapil Mishra, and Neelkanth Bakshi, who alleged that school classrooms were constructed at inflated costs, amounting to an estimated ₹2,892.65 crore for 12,748 rooms.
The complaint points to gross cost escalations, violations of financial regulations, premature payments, and failure to adhere to Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines. It accuses Sisodia and Jain of either masterminding the irregularities or failing to act on known violations, leading to massive losses to the public exchequer.
Legal Sanction Under Anti-Corruption Law
Under the amended Prevention of Corruption Act (Section 17A) introduced in 2018 investigative agencies must obtain prior approval from competent authorities before initiating any inquiry or probe against public officials. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) conveyed the President’s approval to ACB on March 11, paving the way for a criminal case registered on April 30 against the former Delhi ministers.
ED Targets Private Contractors and Records
Wednesday’s raids, which were spread across Delhi and NCR, primarily targeted private contractors and construction firms allegedly involved in the project. Officials said that the ED is examining financial transactions, billing records, and project documentation to trace the money trail in the inflated construction bills.
Sources familiar with the operation confirmed that documents related to fund allocation, contract awards, and payment disbursement have been seized. The agency is also expected to interrogate key personnel associated with the project in the coming days.
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Sisodia and Jain Under Multiple Probes
This is not the first time either leader has come under the ED scanner. Manish Sisodia is already being investigated in the Delhi excise policy case, while Satyendar Jain faces charges in a disproportionate assets case.
Reacting to the FIR filed in the classroom case, Sisodia said in March, “It has come to my attention that the central government has filed an FIR against me and Satyendar Jain regarding the construction of school buildings and classrooms. I want to tell the BJP and the central government file as many cases as you want. Whether it is against me, Satyendar Jain, Atishi, Arvind Kejriwal, or any other AAP leader, we will not bow down.”
The AAP leadership continues to maintain that these cases are politically motivated. However, the growing number of legal cases involving senior AAP leaders is adding to the party’s troubles just months ahead of key elections.
What’s Next in the Investigation?
The ED will now consolidate the documents and evidence gathered from Wednesday’s raids and is likely to summon several individuals, including bureaucrats and former ministers, for questioning.
Legal experts say that proving criminal intent in such high-value public infrastructure cases will depend heavily on documentation, audit trails, and testimonies of officials who worked on the classroom construction project.
As investigations continue, the case could potentially have wide political ramifications, especially if fresh evidence links top leaders directly to financial misconduct.
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