New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given approval for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry against Satyendar Jain, a senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), under the Prevention of Corruption Act, news agency PTI reported.
Jain, currently lodged in jail in connection with a money laundering case, was accused of allegedly extorting Rs 10 crore from an inmate, Sukesh Chandrashekhar, in exchange for providing protection within the prison.
Reacting to this development, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar condemned the move, attributing it to what she described as the "vindictive and vendetta-filled politics" of the BJP. Kakkar said that Jain, known for introducing the widely acclaimed Mohalla Clinic concept in Delhi, is being “unfairly targeted”.
"The vindictive and vendetta-filled politics of BJP has now reached a new low that a notorious conman's word is believed and accepted as the gospel truth against a person who gave the world Delhi's famous Mohalla Clinic concept,” PTI quoted Kakkar as saying.
Before his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in May 2022, Jain held several significant portfolios in the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, including Health.
Alongside Jain, former director general of Tihar prisons Sandeep Goel, and several other staff members are implicated in the allegations of demanding and extorting "protection money" from high-profile inmates within Delhi jails.
The MHA's approval for the CBI inquiry against Jain was granted on March 22. Following this, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena forwarded the matter to the chief secretary for further appropriate action, PTI reported.
The initiation of the inquiry follows a complaint filed by Chandrashekhar, prompting the CBI to investigate the matter further and seek authorisation from the authority concerned to prosecute the former minister under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Chandrashekhar, currently lodged in Tihar jail for a money laundering case, alleged in his complaint that Jain extorted Rs 10 crore from him between 2018 and 2021, either personally or through associates, in exchange for ensuring his safety within various Delhi jails.
Additionally, it was alleged that certain jail officials extracted Rs 12.50 crore from Chandrashekhar in installments between 2019 and 2022.
Kakkar slammed the Delhi LG for the state of law and order in the national capital, warning that the BJP would face severe consequences, both electorally and legally, for its actions.