A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain in a corruption case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Jal Board's sewage treatment plant tenders.
Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh of the Rouse Avenue Courts directed Jain to furnish a personal bail bond of Rs 2 lakh along with two sureties of the same amount. The court's detailed, reasoned order is awaited.
Jain was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on August 18 along with other accused in connection with the case. He was subsequently sent to 14 days of judicial custody on August 19.
What is the Delhi Jal Board corruption case?
The case relates to alleged irregularities in the tendering process for the augmentation and upgradation of sewage treatment plants operated by the Delhi Jal Board.
The ACB had opposed Jain's bail plea, alleging that he played a "vital role" in manipulating STP tenders to favour private company Euroteck Environmental Pvt. Ltd.
According to the agency, tender conditions were allegedly altered to favour a particular technology, limiting competition and giving Euroteck an advantage.
The ACB also alleged that the capacity of the Rohini STP was increased from 15 million gallons per day (MGD) to 30 MGD without a proper technical feasibility study. According to the agency, this resulted in the estimated project cost rising from Rs 90 crore to Rs 147 crore.
The agency further alleged that specifications provided by Euroteck officials were incorporated into the tender documents through subsequent changes, eventually allowing the company to emerge as the sole technology supplier for the relevant STP tender.
Jain's defence
During the bail proceedings, senior advocate N Hariharan, appearing for Jain, argued that the former minister had acted on the recommendations of the technical committee and had not imposed his own views on the tender process.
The defence maintained that the decisions were policy matters and that Jain had granted approvals in good faith.
The corruption case was registered on May 11, 2024, following a complaint by the Delhi government's Directorate of Vigilance alleging large-scale irregularities, manipulation of tender conditions and criminal conspiracy in the DJB's STP tendering process.
The ACB's investigation has found that tenders initially estimated at Rs 1,546 crore were eventually awarded at a combined value of Rs 1,943 crore. The agency has alleged that restrictive technical specifications favoured Euroteck and limited competition.
Jain's bail comes while the investigation into the alleged corruption and tender manipulation remains ongoing.
