New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday launched a massive search operation across 37 locations in connection with the alleged ₹2,000 crore classroom construction scam in Delhi. The case, which has already drawn national attention, involves top-level political figures, including senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain, as well as multiple private contractors and institutions.
The ED’s action stems from a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi Police, which alleged large-scale financial irregularities and cost inflation in the construction of 12,748 additional classrooms across Delhi government schools.
What the ACB FIR Revealed: Inflated Costs and Questionable Contracts
The ACB registered the FIR on April 30, highlighting serious violations in tendering and execution processes. It accused officials of manipulating construction estimates, allowing unjustified cost escalations, and favoring select contractors in awarding work orders.
The FIR claimed:
- The construction costs were artificially inflated, far beyond sanctioned estimates.
- Contracts were awarded in non-transparent and potentially collusive ways.
- Rules and procurement norms were bypassed, leading to massive losses to the state exchequer.
According to the FIR, the scam has potentially caused a loss of nearly ₹2,000 crore to the public treasury.
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ED’s Focus: Tracing the Money Trail and Digital Evidence
The Enforcement Directorate has stepped in to probe the money laundering aspects of the alleged scam. On Friday, its teams launched raids at 37 premises associated with:
- Contractors and construction firms who executed the projects
- Private entities involved in financial or logistical support
- Individuals with direct or indirect links to the allocation of funds or award of tenders
The ED is reportedly looking for:
- Financial records, digital devices, and suspicious transaction trails
- Evidence of fund diversion or layering of government money
- Contracts, emails, and internal communications linked to pricing and tendering
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Sources confirmed that the search operations aim to establish how public funds were diverted and whether proceeds of crime were laundered through shell firms or benami entities.
Satyendra Jain, who was earlier questioned by the ACB in this matter, and Manish Sisodia, already under investigation in the excise policy case, now face fresh scrutiny under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
AAP Faces Intensifying Legal Pressure Amid ED Crackdown
The classroom construction scam is one of several corruption cases in which top AAP leaders are being investigated. The fresh ED action comes at a politically sensitive time, raising new questions about financial governance under the Delhi government during the tenure of the accused ministers.
While the Aam Aadmi Party has previously dismissed such allegations as politically motivated, the multi-agency investigation — involving both ACB and ED — adds legal weight and institutional backing to the charges.
Legal experts believe that if financial documents seized in the raids reveal undisclosed assets, shell firms, or fund transfers, arrests and asset seizures may follow in the coming weeks.