ED Raids AAP Leader Saurabh Bharadwaj's Residence, 12 Other Locations In Delhi Hospital Construction Scam Case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday, based on a certain tip-off, launched massive search operations in connection with the alleged hospital construction scam case. The ED carried out raids at 13 locations across Delhi, including the residence of senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj.

The agency is probing alleged irregularities in the construction of government hospitals in the national capital. 

Probe agency officials informed that that the operations are based on ‘material collected during the course of investigation and allegations contained in the FIR regarding large-scale corruption, unjustified cost escalations, unauthorised constructions, and misappropriation of funds in health infrastructure projects of GNCTD’.

Hospital Construction Scam: What Are The Allegations? Know All About it

The action came in the wake of a case registered by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) against Saurabh Bhardwaj and Satyendra Jain alleging large-scale corruption in health infrastructure projects sanctioned by the Delhi Government.

In 2018-19, the Delhi Government approved 24 hospital projects - 11 greenfield and 13 brownfield - at an estimated cost of Rs 5,590 crores. However, the ACB pointed out that massive irregularities and significant misappropriation of funds have been found in the construction of various hospitals, polyclinics and ICU infrastructure across the city. According to the probe agency, substantial deviations and cost escalations, amounting to several hundred crores, were observed, and not a single project was completed within the prescribed timeline.

One of the most glaring examples is the Rs 1,125 crore ICU Hospital Project, which aimed to establish seven pre-engineered facilities with 6,800 beds. To date, officials say only 50 per cent of the work has been completed.

The case was registered after approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act was obtained from the competent authority.

On August 22, 2024, former Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta submitted a detailed complaint highlighting grave irregularities and suspected corruption in the projects. The complaint directly named Saurabh Bhardwaj and Satyendra Jain, accusing them of systematic manipulation of project budgets, misuse of public funds, and collusion with private contractors.

AAP Issues First Response

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) strongly condemned the Enforcement Directorate’s actions at the residence of former Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, calling it a politically motivated move. Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia alleged that the action was aimed at ‘diverting attention from PM Modi degree controversy’. He further claimed that when the case was originally filed, Bhardwaj was not even a minister, insisting that the ‘entire case is false’. 

Sisodia stated that AAP leaders have repeatedly been targeted with fabricated charges. Echoing similar sentiments, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that the ED case against Saurabh Bhardwaj was ‘forged and baseless’.

This is a developing story. More details awaited.