Delhi Court Sends Satyendar Jain, Ex-DJB CEO to 14-Day Judicial Custody in STP Case
A Delhi court on Wednesday remanded former Water Minister and senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendar Jain, former Delhi Jal Board CEO Udit Prakash Rai, and three others to 14-day judicial custody in connection with an alleged corruption case involving sewage treatment plant tenders in Delhi.
Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh also granted the Delhi Anti Corruption Branch two days of police custody for Ankit Srivastava, a former contractual consultant with the DJB. The court sought a response from the ACB on a bail application submitted by Mr. Jain.
The ACB arrested Mr. Jain, Mr. Rai, Mr. Srivastava, and three private individuals on Tuesday. The other arrested accused include Nagendra Yadav, proprietor of AN Enterprises; Raja Kumar Kurra, owner of Euroteck Environment Pvt. Ltd.; and Pankaj Verma, proprietor of Srijanhar.
During Wednesday's court proceedings, counsel representing Mr. Jain questioned the circumstances of his arrest, noting that the FIR was registered on May 10, 2024. The advocate stated that Mr. Jain was first called for questioning on August 5 and was contacted by telephone on Tuesday prior to his arrest, arguing that the agency had submitted no material on record to justify the action.
Counsel for Mr. Rai also challenged the arrest, informing the court that the former DJB CEO is currently serving as Secretary in the Mizoram government. Legal representatives for the other accused similarly contested the legality and grounds of their detention.
The case was registered under Sections 7, 7A, 9, and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as well as Sections 420, 409, 418, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. The probe began after the Delhi government's Directorate of Vigilance lodged a complaint alleging manipulation of tender conditions and criminal conspiracy in the awarding of contracts to augment and upgrade sewage treatment plants across the capital.
The arrests led to sharp exchanges between AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party. AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal alleged political interference behind the ACB's action, while Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra alleged large-scale corruption in the DJB's past operations. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that 19 CAG reports tabled in the Assembly highlighted multiple irregularities from the previous administration, prompting ongoing official actions.
