A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to former Delhi cabinet minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendar Jain in connection with an Anti-Corruption Branch investigation into alleged irregularities in sewage treatment plant tenders issued by the Delhi Jal Board.
Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh of the Rouse Avenue court granted relief to Jain after he was produced physically for the hearing. In the same proceeding, the court extended the judicial custody of the remaining accused in the case until September 17.
Defense Cites Existing Detention and Lack of Evidence
Arguing for relief, Jain’s counsel, senior advocate N Hariharan, told the court that his client had no connection to the tendering process. Hariharan submitted that the tenders were floated in October 2022, a period during which Jain was already detained in custody in an unrelated matter. The defense further maintained that investigators had gathered all relevant evidence in the case, eliminating the necessity for continued detention.
Allegations of Capacity Inflation and Cost Escalation
The Anti-Corruption Branch has alleged extensive irregularities in the execution and financial structuring of the sewage treatment plant upgrades. According to the agency, the technical proposal for the Rohini facility was altered to double its capacity from 15 million gallons per day (MGD) to 30 MGD without any technical feasibility study or official recommendation.
The agency further alleged that procedural changes to the project scope—specifically the inclusion of the Rohini and Narela plants alongside the removal of the Okhla Phase-V project—led to an estimated expenditure increase of around Rs 123 crore.
Claims of Bribery and Diluted Environmental Standards
Investigators also claimed that a 2 percent commission arrangement was finalized during meetings conducted in December 2022. According to the probe team, an intermediary named Nagendra Yadav facilitated interactions between Delhi Jal Board officials and representatives of Euroteck.
The agency additionally alleged that mandatory environmental compliance criteria established by the Central Pollution Control Board were diluted within the tender terms to provide an illicit advantage to the technology supplier.
