President Murmu Gives Nod For FIR Against Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain In Rs 2,000-Cr Classroom 'Scam'
The Central Vigilance Commission in a 2020 report highlighted glaring irregularities in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools by the Public Works Department.
President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday gave her approval for the registration of an FIR against AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in an alleged scam related to construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools.
In 2022, the Delhi government's vigilance directorate had recommended a probe into the alleged scam and submitted a report to the chief secretary.
The President has given her approval for registering the FIR against Sisodia and Jain in connection with the alleged Rs 2,000-crore classroom scam during their tenures as ministers in the former AAP government in Delhi, news agency PTI quoted sources as saying.
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), in a report dated February 17, 2020, highlighted glaring irregularities in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools by the Public Works Department (PWD).
The President's approval came under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act that pertains to enquiry or inquiry or investigation of offences relatable to recommendations made or decision taken by public servant in discharge of official functions or duties.
Manish Sisodia, meanwhile, said he will not bow down no matter how many cases the BJP-led central government files against him.
"It has come to my attention that the central government has filed an FIR against me and Satyendar Jain regarding the construction of school buildings and classrooms," Sisodia said in a statement.
"I want to tell the BJP and the central government that file as many cases as you want. Whether it is against me, Satyendar Jain, Atishi, Arvind Kejriwal, or any other AAP leader, we will not bow down before the BJP," the former education minister said.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of carrying out a witch-hunt against its political rivals.
"The BJP has no interest or intention to fulfil the promises it made to the people of Delhi. Its only agenda is to carry out a witch-hunt against its political rivals to stifle the voice of people," the former minister said in a statement.
In July 2019, BJP leader Harish Khurana and then AAP rebel MLA Kapil Mishra, now a minister in the Delhi government, lodged a police complaint about the alleged scam.
According to a report prepared by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the Delhi government, the complainants alleged that there was a scam worth over Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of classrooms and school buildings in Delhi.
The work was done at a highly inflated cost by the Delhi government. The alleged scam involves the construction of around 12,748 classrooms.
The ACB report said the total expenditure incurred for constructing the classrooms and school buildings was around Rs 2,892.65 crore. They were allegedly constructed at the rate of Rs 8,800 per square feet, whereas it was common knowledge that the average construction cost (even for a builder of flats) was around Rs 1,500 per square feet.
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