'DJB Scam': ED Links Rs 17.7 Crore 'Proceeds of Crime' to Ex-Delhi Minister Satyender Jain, Others

The Enforcement Directorate has filed a prosecution complaint against former Delhi minister and then chairman of the Delhi Jal Board, Satyender Jain, and 13 others in an alleged money laundering case revolving around "suspected corruption" found in the award of four tenders related to the Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) of the DJB.The ED's prosecution complaint is akin to a chargesheet. Earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party had denied the charges, calling these claims "false" and a "political conspiracy."Apart from Jain, the ED has also filed the chargesheet against the then CEO of the Delhi Jal Board, Udit Prakash Rai, the then member of the DJB Ajay Gupta, the then chief engineer of the DJB, S.C. Vashisht, private entities and individuals.The ED’s case stems

from an ACB FIR against M/s Euroteck Environmental Pvt. Ltd. (M/s EEPL) and others filed under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.The FIR claimed there is an alleged "DJB scam" in the name of the augmentation and upgradation of the existing 10 STPs at Pappankalan and Nilothi (Package 1), Najafgarh and Keshopur (Package 2), Coronation Pillar, Narela and Rohini (Package 3), and Kondli (Package 4). After taking cognisance of the FIR, the ED had carried out raids in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad last July."Rajakumar Kurra, managing director of M/s EEPL, got the terms and conditions of the DJB tender manipulated through officials of the DJB and private persons, Nagendra Yadav and others, making the tender restrictive to the usage of ‘IFAS technology with fixed media’ only, and thereby enabling M/s EEPL to become the sole supplier of technology in the said tender," the ED said in a statement."Investigations revealed Rajakumar Kurra and his associates paid an illegal commission/bribe of Rs. 6.73 crore through banking channels/cash, which is nothing but proceeds of crime under the PMLA. The said illegal commission/bribe was paid through banking transactions by issuing bogus invoices, advances to obfuscate the payments, and also through cash by hawala channels," the ED said.The ED has claimed its investigation revealed these acts resulted in an "undue profit of Rs. 9.66 crore, according to M/s EEPL, which is also proceeds of crime under the PMLA.""The investigation has concluded that the accused are involved in, or have assisted in, the generation, acquisition, concealment, possession and use of total proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs. 17.70 crore (approx.) and thus committed the offence of money laundering," the ED has claimed.On 4th December, the federal probe agency also provisionally attached movable and immovable properties amounting to Rs. 15.36 crore of various persons.In July, Satyender Jain recorded his statement in the case. In May 2022, the ED had arrested Jain in a money laundering probe linked to a corruption case. The Supreme Court released him on bail last year.In May 2024, the ED had filed a chargesheet against the then chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, and also the Aam Aadmi Party in the alleged excise scam.