ACB Gets Nod To Probe Ex-Delhi Ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj, Satyendar Jain In Hospital Scam Case
Delhi's ACB will investigate Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain over a multi-crore hospital scam following a BJP leader's complaint. Allegations include inflated project costs, delays, and misallocation of funds in hospital construction.
Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has been granted approval by the Competent Authority to investigate former Health Ministers of Delhi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain, in connection with allegations of a multi-thousand crore hospital scam that took place during the previous Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi. The decision has been taken under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, following a recommendation made by Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on May 6, 2025. Based on that recommendation, the competent authority granted sanction for the investigation today.
BJP Leader’s Complaint Triggers Probe
This investigation initiates after a complaint filed by BJP leader and Current Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Vijender Gupta, on August 22, 2024. In the complaint, Gupta alleged massive corruption within the Delhi government’s health department, with the involvement of the then-health ministers being highly suspicious.
According to the allegations, during 2018–19, 24 hospital projects: 11 greenfield and 13 brownfield were approved at a cost of ₹5,590 crore. However, due to the stagnation of the projects, costs escalated multiple times. Similarly, in September 2021, the AAP government announced a plan to build 7 ICU hospitals with a combined capacity of 6,800 beds within six months at a cost of ₹1,125 crore. But after three years, only 50% of the work had been completed, and ₹800 crore had already been spent.
As per the allegations, under the AAP government, the cost of constructing a new block at Delhi’s largest government hospital, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP), escalated from 465 crore to 1,125 crore rupees. Meanwhile, a plan to construct 94 polyclinics for ₹168 crore resulted in only 52 polyclinics being built, with ₹220 crore spent. The Health Information Management System (HIMS) was also deliberately delayed for years, allegedly to avoid transparency.
ACB Alleges Systemic Corruption, Flags Serious Irregularities
According to information, following a prima facie inquiry into the complaint, the ACB concluded that the costs of several projects were deliberately inflated, work was intentionally delayed, cost-effective solutions were rejected, funds were misallocated, and non-functional assets were created. The ACB termed these as part of a systematic strategy of corruption, which resulted in significant losses to the public exchequer.
Based on its prima facie findings, the ACB submitted a proposal to the Department of Vigilance of the Delhi government seeking approval to investigate Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The Vigilance Department referred the proposal to the Health & Family Welfare Department (H&FW) and the Public Works Department (PWD) for their comments. The Health Department informed that the issues mentioned fall within the scope of ACB investigation and raised no objection. The PWD treated the primary-level violations mentioned in the complaint as serious and recommended a detailed vigilance probe. PWD also emphasised in its note that a comprehensive investigation should be carried out into all projects related to the ICU hospitals, polyclinics, and the other 24 hospital projects, with clear accountability established if anyone is found guilty of corruption, irregularities, or legal violations.
Subsequently, the Vigilance Department, after reviewing the ACB’s proposal and the comment note from both Health and PWD, forwarded the file to the Lieutenant Governor with a note which highlighted that repeated changes were made to the designs and facilities of the hospitals after construction began, which delayed completion. It also stated that the projects were not planned properly, leading to excessive cost escalation. Additionally, the cost of dispute resolution added unnecessary burden to the government. The department warned that some critical facts and evidence might still be hidden, making a thorough investigation essential.
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