News Desk: A Delhi court on Wednesday rejected Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain’s plea seeking to declare his arrest illegal and remanded him to judicial custody in connection with an alleged corruption case involving the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). Special Judge (PC Act) Dig Vinay Singh of the Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order after Jain was produced before the court. Jain was arrested on August 18 by the Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in connection with alleged irregularities in the tendering process for sewage treatment plant projects of the Delhi Jal Board. The case, registered in May 2024 following a complaint by the Directorate of Vigilance, relates to allegations of manipulation of tender conditions, criminal conspiracy and suspected bribe payments linked to contracts for upgrading sewage treatment plants.
Along with Jain, former Delhi Jal Board CEO Udit Prakash Rai and three other accused—Nagendra Yadav, Raja Kumar Kurra and Pankaj Verma—were also sent to judicial custody. Another accused, Ankit Srivastava, was remanded to police custody for two days. Jain had challenged the legality of his arrest before the court. However, the court declined to grant the relief and rejected his application. During the proceedings, Jain reportedly maintained that he had no involvement in the technical aspects of the tendering process and had relied on experts for such matters. The latest development has triggered a fresh political confrontation. The AAP has alleged that Jain’s arrest is politically motivated, while the BJP has rejected the charge and claimed that investigators have established a money trail connected to the alleged irregularities.
The case adds to the legal challenges faced by Jain, who had previously been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a separate money-laundering case. The Rouse Avenue Court’s decision marks a significant development in the DJB case, with the investigation into the alleged tender irregularities continuing.
