New Delhi [India], August 19 : The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi government on Tuesday arrested six persons, including former Delhi Water Minister Satyendar Kumar Jain, in connection with an alleged corruption and criminal conspiracy case related to the tendering process for the upgradation of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) under the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
The arrests were made in connection with an FIR registered on May 11, 2024, under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), along with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code related to cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy.
The accused arrested in the case include Satyendar Kumar Jain, former CEO of Delhi Jal Board; Udit Prakash Rai (IAS), former contractual consultant of DJB; Ankit Srivastava, Nagendra Yadav, proprietor of M/s AN Enterprises; Raja Kumar Kurra, owner of M/s Euroteck Environment Pvt. Ltd, and Pankaj Verma, proprietor of M/s Srijanhar.
According to the ACB, the case was initiated following a complaint by the Directorate of Vigilance, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), which flagged alleged irregularities in the DJB tender process for augmenting and upgrading STPs.
The agency alleged that the tender process was manipulated to favour a particular private technology firm, M/s Euroteck Environment Pvt. Ltd, through restrictive technical specifications that allegedly prevented participation by other bidders.
The ACB claimed that its investigation found that a proposed pilot study was not conducted, technical specifications were modified during the tender process, and corrigenda were issued in a manner that allegedly benefited the private firm.
The agency further alleged that electronic evidence indicated that tender documents and certain conditions were exchanged among the accused before being incorporated into the official tender notice issued by the DJB.
During the financial investigation, the ACB traced an alleged flow of funds through intermediary entities M/s Srijanhar and M/s AN Enterprises. The agency alleged that money from Euroteck was transferred to M/s AN Enterprises and subsequently routed to then DJB CEO Udit Prakash Rai and his relatives.
The ACB stated that the amount allegedly received by Rai and his family through banking channels was Rs 1.52 crore, with a part of the amount allegedly used for purchasing immovable property.
The agency also claimed that communications between officials and private entities indicated a coordinated effort to influence the procurement process.
The ACB said all six accused were questioned before being arrested on August 18. The agency added that the investigation into the alleged money trail and proceeds of crime is continuing.