AAP's Satyendar Jain Gets Bail In Delhi Jal Board Tender Case

A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendar Jain in a corruption case linked to Delhi Jal Board sewage treatment plant tenders.

Special Judge Digvinay Singh of the Rouse Avenue Courts ordered Jain’s release on a bail bond of ₹2 lakh with two sureties of an equivalent amount, Hindustan Times reported.

Jain was arrested on August 18 along with five other accused in the case registered by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB).

The agency opposed his bail application, alleging that he had played a “vital role in manipulating” DJB tenders to benefit private company Euroteck Environmental Pvt. Ltd. Additional Public Prosecutor Manish Rawat presented the submissions on behalf of the ACB.

In its 13-page written response, the agency alleged that Jain, while serving as Delhi’s water minister, had “connived” with senior DJB officials, including former chief executive officer and co-accused Udit Prakash Rai.

According to the ACB, technical recommendations, the proposed capacity of a sewage treatment plant and project cost estimates were altered before tender conditions were framed in a manner that allegedly favoured Euroteck, as reported by Hindustan Times.

“Satyendra Jain played a vital role in the manipulation process and has criminal antecedent. It has been revealed that Jain, along with former DJB CEO Udit Rai, arbitrarily changed tender proposals without proper study or technical recommendation,” the agency said.

The ACB claimed that the alleged manipulation could be traced to a meeting held on August 31, 2021, involving Jain, senior DJB officials and Euroteck representatives.

“During the meeting, it was decided that a pilot run of Euroteck’s proposed technology would be conducted at the Coronation STP to test its efficiency. It was also decided that both suspended media and fixed media technologies would be permitted in the tender,” the agency said.

However, the ACB alleged, “Neither the pilot run was conducted nor were both technologies ultimately allowed in the tender. Instead, the tender process subsequently moved towards permitting only IFAS (Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge) technology with fixed media, which allegedly suited Euroteck”.

The agency also raised questions about changes made to the planned capacity of the Rohini sewage treatment plant.

On October 14, 2021, the DJB’s technical wing proposed raising the plant’s capacity from 15 million gallons per day (MGD) to 25 MGD. The proposal was recommended by Rai, who was then the DJB CEO.

The ACB alleged that Jain subsequently approved an increase from 15 MGD to 30 MGD despite the absence of an appropriate study or technical recommendation. “This increased the estimated cost of the project from ₹90 crore to ₹147 crore,” it said.

The agency further claimed that Jain held additional meetings with senior DJB officials but that no minutes of those discussions were recorded.

It alleged that specifications and conditions supplied by Euroteck representatives were later added to the DJB’s tender documents through corrigenda.

“These changes were made in connivance with senior DJB officials and intermediaries and were intended to favour Euroteck, while putting other potential bidders at a disadvantage,” the ACB alleged.

According to the agency, the changes enabled Euroteck to become the sole supplier of IFAS technology with fixed media for the STP tender.

The ACB also alleged that Jain was in touch with Vinod Chauhan, who it claimed “was connected with hawala operators allegedly involved in the movement of bribe money along with senior DJB officials”.

Summarising Jain’s alleged involvement, the agency argued that he had not acted merely as an approving authority but had played a central role in the purported tender manipulation.

The ACB said its investigation had revealed Jain’s alleged role and connivance, adding that the necessary approval under the Prevention of Corruption Act had been secured.

It also accused the AAP leader of failing to cooperate with investigators.

“When questioned about the approvals granted by him in relation to the tender process, Jain maintained that he was not a subject expert and had granted the approvals in good faith,” the agency said.

Senior advocate N Hariharan, representing Jain, rejected the allegations and argued that his client had acted upon recommendations made by the technical committee. He submitted that Jain could not be held liable for decisions based on expert advice.

“It was a policy decision. I never thrust upon my opinion. It was based on the recommendations of the technical committee,” Hariharan argued on Jain’s behalf.

Following his arrest, Jain and three other accused were remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. Former DJB contractual consultant Ankit Shrivastava, another accused in the case, was sent to two days of ACB custody.

The case was registered on May 11, 2024, after the Delhi government’s Directorate of Vigilance filed a complaint alleging “large-scale irregularities” and “criminal conspiracy” in tenders issued for the augmentation and upgradation of DJB sewage treatment plants.

According to the ACB’s investigation, three companies secured contracts that were initially valued at ₹1,546 crore. The combined value of those contracts later rose to ₹1,943 crore.

The agency alleged that restrictive technical specifications in the tender reduced competition and provided Euroteck with an undue advantage.