CBI Conducts Fifth Raid On Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain, This Time Over PWD Hiring

Early morning, today, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided the residence of Satyendar Jain, PWD minister of Delhi. They raided his house in connection with the hiring of a creative team for the Public Works Department.

Officials have confirmed that searches are being carried out at the residences of other PWD officials and private persons. The CBI has also registered a case alleging a violation in hiring architects for PWD projects. It says that people without any prior experience were chosen for the job.

The CBI says the contract documents for hiring 24 people for mohalla clinics and other PWD projects were not done in a transparent manner, reported NDTV.

Around 8 am, Satyendar Jain tweeted about the raid.

Cbi raids my house for hiring creative team by PWD. Professionals were hired for different projects. All were forced to leave by cbi.

— Satyendar Jain (@SatyendarJain) May 30, 2018

Within minutes, the Delhi CM, Arvind Kejriwal, tweeted asking what the Prime Minister wanted.

What does PM Modi want? https://t.co/3vN1MVxPqk

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 30, 2018

Several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members complained about the raid and said that it was just done to distract people from the good work they are doing. Atishi Marlena tweeted that why was the raid done immediately after Satyendar Jain announced the price cap on private medical practice.

Sequence of events:
1. CBI closes one case on @SatyendarJain yesterday
2. @SatyendarJain announces price capping and regulation of private hospitals
3. Immediately CBI raids the residence of @SatyendarJain today morning

Does this sequence of events say anything to you?!

— Atishi Marlena (@AtishiMarlena) May 30, 2018

“Six months ago, the CBI came to my house as well. We are working for education, for power, for so many other problems in the city. Nothing is going to come out of these raids. This is all happening just to distract the people from the work we are doing. They are trying to defame us,” said the deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Jain is already under the scanner for alleged use of shell companies to launder funds. In August 2017, a disproportionate assets case was registered by the CBI and investigations were also taken up by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). CBI already raided his house and office four times before. On December 2016, his office was raided in connection with alleged irregularities in the appointment of Nikunj Aggarwal as OSD (On Special Duty). On May 2017, another raid was conducted at his office. This time for alleged criminal conspiracy under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Today’s raid on Mr Jain comes a day after the CBI closed its probe into his daughter Soumya Jain’s appointment as an adviser to the state government’s project on mohalla clinics.

CBI closed probe a day before

CBI closed the probe into Soumya Jain on May 29. They said that no concrete evidence was found that can help in the initiation of criminal proceedings against her. AAP and its leaders were accused by former lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung of “alleged nepotism, a gross violation of rules and regulations and favouritism”, reported The Times of India.

The allegations were that Soumya didn’t have any experience in the health sector. It was also alleged that AAP spent 1.15 lakh on her tours. It was also alleged that she was not recruited as a result of selection through an open and transparent process.

“The investigation officer recommended that there was not enough prosecutable evidence to suggest that she took benefits from her appointment, so there is no need to convert the preliminary enquiry into a regular case (FIR). A decision was taken to close it,” said an officer.