Delhi L-G Approves Probe Against Satyendar Jain In CCTV Installation Graft Case

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has approved a recommendation to investigate jailed former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain in a corruption case related to the installation of CCTV cameras in the city, according to Raj Niwas officials.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the BJP of conspiring against it and the Delhi government, claiming this case is part of the BJP's ongoing efforts to hinder its work. The BJP, however, said the sanction for investigation was expected and not surprising.

In a statement, AAP said, "The BJP is relentlessly engaging in sinister conspiracies against the Delhi government day and night to halt its works." They claimed that over 200 cases have been filed against AAP ministers and MLAs, including sending Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to jail, in an attempt to suppress the party.

The BJP described Jain as a "master of corruption in the Delhi Cabinet." Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in May 2022 in connection with a money laundering case and is currently in judicial custody.

Raj Niwas officials allege that Jain accepted a bribe of Rs 7 crore for waiving a Rs 16 crore penalty imposed on a company for delays in installing CCTVs in 70 Assembly constituencies of Delhi. Saxena approved the Directorate of Vigilance's proposal to refer the matter to the Union Home Ministry for investigation approval by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB).

Jain was the Public Works Department minister overseeing the project to install 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras in Delhi at a cost of Rs 571 crore. The case is based on a September 2019 complaint from an employee of the company responsible for the installation, alleging the company arranged the bribe money through its vendors. The ACB corroborated the complaint with information from secret sources and recorded the complainant's statement.

AAP asserted that despite numerous corruption cases against its leaders, no money has been recovered by probe agencies. The party accused the BJP and the Central government of trying to undermine and paralyze the Delhi government, including enacting the GNCTD Act against the Supreme Court's verdict and disrupting public interest initiatives.

The BJP's Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva welcomed the probe sanction, stating it was long overdue. He accused the Kejriwal government of corruption in projects related to women's and children's security, including CCTV installations and panic button implementations in public transport vehicles.