- Satyendar Jain remanded to judicial custody; bail plea August 25.
- Case concerns alleged irregularities in Delhi Jal Board tenders.
- ACB alleges tender manipulation favoring one company, restricting competition.
Former Delhi minister and AAP leader Satyendar Jain has been sent to judicial custody in connection with an Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) case linked to alleged irregularities in Delhi Jal Board tenders. A Rouse Avenue Court will hear his bail plea on August 25 and has issued a notice to the ACB. The court also rejected Jain’s plea challenging the legality of his arrest.
Jain Sent To Custody
The case concerns alleged corruption and irregularities in a tender related to sewage treatment plants (STPs) under the Delhi Jal Board. The six people arrested by the ACB include Satyendar Jain, former Delhi Jal Board CEO and IAS officer Udit Prakash Rai, former contractual consultant Ankita Srivastava, AN Enterprises proprietor Nagendra Yadav, Euroteck Environment Pvt. Ltd. owner Raja Kumar Kurra and Srijanhar proprietor Pankaj Verma.
Jain had challenged his arrest, but the court rejected his plea. His bail application will now be taken up on August 25, with the ACB directed to respond.
The court will separately hear Udit Prakash Rai’s bail plea on Thursday, August 20.
Also Read: AAP Leader Satyendar Jain Among Six Arrested In Delhi Jal Board Tender Case
ACB Alleges Tender Manipulation
According to the ACB, the FIR was registered on May 11, 2024, under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act as well as sections of the IPC relating to cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy.
The agency alleges that technical conditions and specifications in the tender were altered to favour a particular technology provider, Euroteck Environment Pvt. Ltd. It has also claimed that a proposed pilot study was not conducted and that the tender conditions restricted competition from other companies.
The ACB further alleges that changes to the tender terms and technical specifications had significant financial implications for the government exchequer.
According to the agency, analysis of electronic evidence revealed conversations between private individuals, government officials and alleged intermediaries. The ACB claims that tender conditions, corrigenda and other documents were shared among them before being incorporated into the Delhi Jal Board tender.
The agency has also alleged that these exchanges point to a suspected nexus between private companies and government officials and indicate attempts to influence the tender process. The allegations remain subject to the ongoing legal proceedings.
Also Read: Kejriwal Blames BJP For Satyendar Jain’s Arrest, Calls It ‘Dictatorship’
