New Delhi: Former Delhi Health Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj came under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday as his residence was searched in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the construction of government hospitals across the capital.
The probe stems from an FIR filed earlier by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) against Bharadwaj and former Health Minister Satyendar Jain, alleging massive corruption in Delhi’s public health infrastructure projects.
According to officials, the ED conducted raids at 13 locations, including the residences of Bharadwaj and private contractors, as well as the offices of two construction companies based in West Patel Nagar and Kasturba Gandhi Marg.
In its statement, ED said the searches were carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). The agency is investigating allegations of cost escalations, unauthorised constructions, misappropriation of funds, and laundering of public money in hospital projects.
Background of the Case
Between 2018 and 2019, during Satyendar Jain’s tenure as Health Minister, the Delhi government approved the construction and upgradation of 24 hospitals — 11 greenfield and 13 brownfield — with a sanctioned budget of ₹5,590 crore. However, according to ACB findings, most projects suffered major delays and cost overruns.
One ICU hospital project worth ₹1,125 crore, intended to deliver 6,800 beds across seven pre-engineered buildings within six months, remains only half complete after three years and an expenditure of ₹800 crore.
The ACB also flagged over 100% cost escalations in seven ICU hospitals and delays well beyond the February 2022 deadline. For instance, at Lok Nayak Hospital, project costs shot up from ₹488 crore to ₹1,135 crore, while in Delhi’s mohalla clinics project, only 52 of 94 planned clinics were completed despite a higher budget allocation of ₹220 crore (up from ₹168 crore).
Political Response
The complaint that triggered the investigation was filed last year by Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, highlighting alleged irregularities in hospital projects.
Reacting to the raids, AAP dismissed them as politically motivated. “ED raids against Saurabh Bharadwaj are a diversionary tactic. The case is false and dates back to a time when he was not even a minister,” said senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, as quoted by the Economic Times.
