ED raids 37 sites in NCR over classroom construction irregularities from AAP era
President Droupadi Murmu granted Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau approval in March to formally investigate Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain over alleged irregularities
New Delhi: The enforcement directorate (ED) on Wednesday raided around 37 locations belonging to private contractors in the national capital region (NCR) including Delhi in connection with the alleged ₹2,000-crore classroom construction irregularities case in which former ministers and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain are under the scanner, people familiar with the development said.
The ED probe stems from a first information report (FIR) filed by the anti-corruption branch (ACB) of the Delhi government. President Droupadi Murmu granted the ACB approval in March to formally investigate Sisodia and Jain over alleged irregularities in the construction of school rooms and buildings. On April 30, the ACB registered a criminal case against Sisodia, who was the deputy chief minister and education minister in the earlier AAP government, and ex-PWD minister Jain, in connection with the case.
The sanction was sought under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which mandates prior approval for investigations against public officials. The home affairs ministry (MHA) conveyed the President’s decision to ACB on March 11, the people cited above said.
Sisodia was the education minister while Jain was PWD minister in Delhi government when the alleged irregularities took place.
Section 17A, inserted in the Prevention of Corruption Act by the Centre in July 2018 through an amendment, makes it mandatory for police, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any investigative agency dealing with corruption offences to seek prior approval for conducting any “enquiry” or “inquiry” or “investigation” into any corruption-related offences against public officials.
The probe stems from a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Harish Khurana, Kapil Mishra, and Neelkanth Bakshi, alleging irregularities amounting to ₹2,000 crore in constructing 12,748 school rooms at “inflated costs”, according to ACB’s 17A sanction request, a copy of which has been seen by HT.
Also Read: Classroom case: Probe said to focus on Jain; Sisodia’s role also under scanner
“The scam involves construction of around 12,748 school rooms at a very high and inflated construction cost. The total cost incurred for constructing the school rooms/buildings is around ₹2,892.65 crore,” the document states.
The agency argued that Sisodia, then education minister, and Jain, then PWD minister, either masterminded the scheme or failed to act despite grossly inflated costs. The complaint also alleges rule violations, including premature payments and non-compliance with Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines.
Sisodia is already under investigation over alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy case, while Jain faces a disproportionate assets probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Also Read: Delhi: President Murmu gives nod to probe against Satyendar Jain and Sisodia
Both AAP leaders have denied any wrongdoing and have dismissed the cases as political vendetta.
“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,” Sisodia said in March.
Sisodia and Jain have been earlier investigated in other money laundering probes as well.
