Big trouble for AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj as ED conducts searches in money laundering case linked to…

The Enforcement Directorate alleged that the scam in constructing hospitals was done during his tenure as the Delhi health minister.

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday morning conducted searches at the residence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj in a money laundering case linked to irregularities in hospital construction, officials said.

The ED is conducting search operations under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) at 13 different locations across the Delhi-NCR region.

What is the case?

According to sources, the scam is allegedly worth approximately Rs 5,590 crore. In 2018-2019, the AAP-led Delhi government approved projects worth Rs 5,590 crore for the construction of 24 hospitals. The ICU hospital was supposed to be completed in six months, but even after three years, the work remained incomplete.

Sources added that despite spending Rs 800 crore, only 50 per cent of the work has been completed.

Not just this, the ED has also alleged that the cost of LNJP hospital increased from Rs 488 crore to Rs 1,135 crore without any substantial progress.

What the ED said?

The operations are based on material collected during the course of investigation and allegations contained in the FIR regarding large-scale corruption, unjustified cost escalations, unauthorised constructions, and misappropriation of funds in health infrastructure projects of GNCTD. The search teams have covered the residential premises of Saurabh Bhardwaj, as well as the offices and residences of the private contractors involved in the projects, in order to trace evidence relating to diversion and laundering of public funds.

How AAP leaders reacted?

Condemning the action, AAP leader Manish Sisodia said, “Saurabh Bharadwaj was not the minister at the time when this is the case,” said AAP leader Manish Sisodia and added, “This whole case is false. It is clear from Satendar Jain’s case that false cases were made against AAP leaders.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• ED raids Saurabh Bharadwaj’s residence
• Scam related to he construction of 24 hospitals
• Scam is tunned to Rs Rs 5,590 crore
• AAP claims this to be false case