AAP Faces Deepening Crisis as ED Probes Multi-Crore Scams Across Delhi Departments

New Delhi: Trouble is mounting for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a series of money laundering probes into multiple alleged financial irregularities during its tenure in the Delhi government. Three separate Enforcement Case Information Reports (ECIRs), equivalent to FIRs, have been filed, targeting suspected scams in the health, surveillance, and shelter infrastructure sectors — collectively pegged at over ₹6,368 crore.

At the center of these investigations are senior AAP leaders and former health ministers Satyendar Jain and Saurabh Bharadwaj, who are expected to be summoned soon. Their alleged roles in sanctioning inflated or incomplete projects have come under sharp scrutiny.

₹5,590 Crore Hospital Project Under Scanner

The most significant of the cases involves a 2018–19 health infrastructure initiative wherein the AAP government approved 24 ICU-equipped hospital projects with a six-month completion target. According to ED sources, despite an expenditure of over ₹800 crore, only half the work has been completed to date.

The ED has also flagged ballooning construction costs — such as at Lok Nayak Hospital, where the budget allegedly rose unchecked from ₹488 crore to ₹1,135 crore. Officials allege these escalations occurred without proper technical or financial clearances.

CCTV Surveillance Deal: ₹7 Crore Bribery Allegation

Another major probe revolves around the AAP government’s ambitious plan to install 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras across all 70 Delhi Assembly constituencies. Though the contract was awarded to Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the ED claims the project missed deadlines. BEL was fined ₹17 crore for the delay, but the penalty was later waived without justification.

Investigators allege that Satyendar Jain accepted a ₹7 crore bribe in return for this waiver. The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) had earlier filed a separate case against Jain related to the matter.

Fake FDRs, Ghost Workers, and Covid-Era Scam

Further allegations involve the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), where over ₹207 crore was reportedly siphoned off using fake fixed deposit receipts (FDRs). Another ₹15 lakh road project in Patel Nagar is under investigation for suspected fraud.

The ED also claims that during the Covid-19 lockdown, projects worth ₹250 crore were falsely shown as completed using forged documentation. Salaries were allegedly disbursed to non-existent employees, with commissions reportedly passed on to politicians in the process.

Multi-Agency Probe Tightens Noose

In addition to the ED, both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) are pursuing parallel investigations. With multiple agencies involved and mounting documentary evidence, AAP’s top brass may soon face a grilling on the financial dealings during their time in office.