Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendar Jain and former Delhi Jal Board Chief Executive Officer Udit Prakash Rai were among the six persons arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch on Tuesday in connection with alleged irregularities in the tendering process for sewage treatment plant projects in the national capital, The Indian Express reported.

The case was registered on May 11, 2024, based on a complaint by the Directorate of Vigilance, reported PTI.

The Anti-Corruption Branch has alleged that technical specifications and other conditions in the tender for upgrading sewage treatment plants were manipulated to give undue advantage to a firm named Euroteck Environment by limiting competition.

A pilot project was not conducted and essential parameters relating to treated effluent were left out of the tendering process, alleged the agency.

These irregularities resulted in “significant financial implications” for the government exchequer, PTI quoted the Anti-Corruption Branch as saying.

Apart from Jain and Rai, the agency arrested Ankit Srivastava, a former contractual consultant with the water board, Nagendra Yadav, proprietor of M/s AN Enterprises, Raja Kumar Kurra, owner of M/s Euroteck Environment Private Limited and Pankaj Verma, proprietor of M/s Srijanhar.

The Anti-Corruption Branch alleged that private persons, public servants and intermediaries regularly communicated about the tender process. It also claimed that it had found a financial trail linking them.

It alleged that Srijanhar and AN Enterprises, which are allegedly linked to Eurotek, routed bribe payments to the former Delhi Jal Board chief executive officer and his relatives.

Rai and his family members received Rs 1.52 crore through the company and used it to buy immovable property, PTI quoted the agency as alleging.

The Enforcement Directorate, which is conducting a parallel money laundering investigation, had earlier filed a chargesheet against Jain and 13 others.

The central agency had alleged that a fraud to the tune of Rs 17.7 crore took place in the award of four tenders linked to sewage treatment work.

After Jain’s arrest, former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the action was taken at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s behest.

“The previous case was fabricated too, and this case will also be proven to be fake,” he said on social media.

He was referring to the liquor policy case, in which Jain was granted bail in October 2024. In February, a trial court said that there was no overarching conspiracy or criminal intent in the excise policy.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the BJP government was using investigative agencies to pressure governments that worked and disrupt elections.

He said AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Jain and himself, had been arrested before the Delhi election and alleged that similar tactics were now being used ahead of the Punjab elections.

Edited by Sneha.

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