Saurabh Bhardwaj and Satyendra Jain in trouble, ACB registers case in corruption case

The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi has registered a case against former GNCTD Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj and Satyendra Jain in connection with large-scale corruption in the Delhi government’s health infrastructure projects. Joint Commissioner of Police and Anti-Corruption Branch chief Madhur Verma said that 24 hospital projects – 11 greenfield and 13 brownfield – were approved in 2018-19 at a cost of Rs 5,590 crore. These projects are mired in inexplicable delays and astronomical cost escalation, indicating large-scale financial embezzlement. A case has been registered against former Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj and Satyendra Jain after getting approval from the competent authority under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. On August 22, 2024, the then Leader of Opposition and current Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta had filed a complaint, highlighting serious irregularities and suspected corruption in various health infrastructure projects, alleging systematic manipulation of project budgets, misuse of public funds and collusion with private contractors. The ACB said verification of the complaint revealed that unauthorised additional construction work was carried out in government hospitals in Jwalapuri and Madipur without the approval of competent authorities. Notably, the Madipur hospital project was to be completed by November 2022, but it is still incomplete and far from completion. Further, the ACB said it has been revealed that the cost of seven ICU hospitals contracted by SAM India Buildwell Pvt Ltd has increased by more than 100 per cent, and the construction is still incomplete, well ahead of the February 2022 deadline.