AAP's Satyendar Jain booked for corruption in ₹571cr CCTV project
What's the story
Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Public Works Department (PWD) minister Satyendar Jain has been booked for alleged corruption in a ₹571 crore CCTV project. The Delhi government's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) registered a case against him after getting approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act from the competent authority. The FIR was filed on Tuesday, and Joint Commissioner of Police (ACB), Madhur Verma, announced the registration of the case.
Allegations
Jain accused of waiving damages after receiving bribe
Jain is alleged to have illegally waived off liquidated damages of ₹16 crore, levied on Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the delay in installation of CCTV cameras across Delhi. The waiver was allegedly granted after he received ₹7 crore as a bribe, Verma said in a statement. He stated that several complaints pointed to shoddy implementation of the project. Many of the cameras installed were also nonfunctional when they were handed over.
Project issues
Complaints about project execution and non-functional cameras
Over one lakh CCTVs were to be installed across Delhi's 70 Assembly segments. The ACB's case is based on the statement of "an officer of the BEL, "well-versed with the facts of the case (and) whose examination supported these allegations." According to the ACB, this officer presented a "detailed complaint" that included claims that a second order of an additional 1.4 lakh cameras was placed after the initial delay.
BJP
Kejriwal government covered-up the case: BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which dethroned the AAP in the recent assembly elections, was quick to respond to the development. BJP Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva said that the ACB had completed the investigation of Jain's bribe case in 2023, "but due to the Kejriwal government's cover-up, FIR could not be lodged." "Finally, an FIR has been lodged and we hope that more scams related to CCTV installation will be exposed now," he said.