FIR Filed Against Sisodia, Jain in Delhi School Scam

FIR Filed Against Sisodia, Jain in Delhi School Scam

The filing of the FIR against Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain marks a significant step in the investigation into the alleged school construction scam.

By RMN News Service

NEW DELHI: The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has registered a case against former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and ex-PWD minister Satyendar Jain. The case alleges corruption in the construction of classrooms at allegedly exorbitant costs in Delhi government schools.

According to the ACB, a scam of Rs 2,000 crore has been unearthed in the construction of 12,748 classrooms/buildings during the tenure of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi. Complaints were received from Harish Khurana, Delhi BJP spokesperson, MLA Kapil Mishra, and BJP’s media relations department’s Neelkanth Bakshi regarding corruption in the construction of these classrooms at an expenditure of Rs 2,892 crore. The first source also mentions complaints filed by these BJP leaders.

Allegations include that the lump sum cost for constructing one school room, as per the awarded tenders, was around Rs. 24.86 lakh per room. It is further alleged that such rooms could ordinarily be constructed in Delhi for around Rs five lakh per room, suggesting prices were inflated almost fivefold. The project was reportedly awarded to 34 contractors, many of whom are allegedly associated with AAP.

The issue gained traction after Delhi Lt. Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena ordered a probe into Delhi’s classroom construction projects, citing alleged gross financial irregularities and significant corruption. This LG order followed a delay in action by the Vigilance Department, initially advised by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).

[ Google AI Analysis: You can click here to watch the Google AI Analysis of Delhi School Construction Scam ]

During the verification process, it was revealed that in expenditure finance committee meetings for 2015-16, it was decided the project would be completed by June 2016 at the sanctioned cost without future cost escalations. However, deadlines were missed, and significant deviations and cost escalations were observed.

A critical piece of evidence cited is the examination report of the Chief Technical Examiner (CTE), CVC, issued on February 17, 2020, with competent authority approval. This report was reportedly suppressed for about three years. The CTE/CVC report raised serious violations of various rules and guidelines, alleging that decisions taken after tender awards were not in accordance with guidelines, leading to huge escalation of cost and financial loss. The report also noted that the actual cost of the constructed temporary structures (SPS) was more or less equal to the cost of permanent structures.

Specifically, the CVC audit revealed that tenders floated and contracts awarded for Rs 860.63 crore subsequently escalated by 17 per cent to 90 per cent due to richer specifications. This escalation amounted to Rs 326.25 crore, with Rs 205.45 crore attributable to richer specifications (23.87 per cent of the award value). No fresh tenders were invited for these changes, contrary to CVC guidelines. Furthermore, work worth Rs. 42.5 crore was executed without proper tenders in five schools, using existing contracts. The CVC report also highlighted an extra expenditure of ₹37 crore on the construction of 1,214 toilet blocks.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had granted its approval for the prosecution of Sisodia and Jain under the Prevention of Corruption Act, which paved the way for the FIR. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, also sanctioned the FIR against them in connection with the alleged scam. The competent authority has accorded its approval in filing a case under section 17-A of the POC Act.

A comprehensive investigation has been launched to unearth the whole conspiracy and fix the role and culpability of the alleged ministers, known/unknown government officials, and contractors. The prosecution sanction explicitly highlights the need for a thorough investigation into the roles of Manish Sisodia as the then Minister of Education and Finance, and Satyendar Jain as the Minister of Public Works Department. Sources quoting the sanction suggested such a large scam likely involved ministerial knowledge or failure to notice vastly inflated costs.

The project was initially initiated by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in 2015 to address the classroom shortage.

Responding to the development, Manish Sisodia stated that the AAP and its leaders “will not bow down before BJP” and challenged the Union government to file more cases.

Beyond the alleged financial irregularities, critics argue that the focus on construction may have been driven by the “huge corruption opportunity” rather than educational improvement. Despite claims of infrastructure progress, reports suggest education levels in Delhi schools may have deteriorated. There have been calls for a transparent audit of school education in Delhi.

The filing of the FIR against Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain marks a significant step in the investigation into the alleged school construction scam.