Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi Water Minister Satyendar Jain has been arrested for manipulating a tender process at the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the Delhi anti-corruption branch said on Tuesday.
Jain, who previously spent 18 months in prison in a money laundering case, is among six people arrested in the investigation into irregularities in the tendering process for upgrading sewage treatment plants of the DJB.
The anti-corruption branch said the Directorate of Vigilance had filed a complaint alleging large-scale irregularities, manipulation of tender conditions and criminal conspiracy in the process. Among those arrested is Udit Prakash Rai, a former CEO of the DJB.
The Aam Aadmi Party termed Jain’s arrest political and questioned how he could be responsible for irregularities that took place while he was in prison.
“How many more proofs are needed that the BJP is scared of the AAP?” AAP National Media In-charge Anurag Dhanda said in a post on X.
“At the time of that Jal Board tender, Satyendra ji was in jail. How did he become responsible from jail?” Dhanda said, alleging that Jain’s role as the AAP’s Punjab co-in-charge and the upcoming elections were behind the arrest.