The ACB’s latest move marks a renewed crackdown on alleged large-scale corruption under the previous AAP-led Delhi government, dragging back into focus former deputy CM Manish Sisodia and ex-PWD minister Satyendar Jain.
₹2,000 Crore in Question: The Classroom That Cost Too Much
In another jolt to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the Delhi government has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and former Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Satyendar Jain. The case revolves around alleged massive corruption in the construction of 12,748 classrooms during their tenure in office.
According to the ACB, tenders for classroom construction were awarded at an average cost of ₹24.86 lakh per classroom, whereas the actual cost, by standard construction estimates in Delhi, should have been around ₹5 lakh per unit. The ACB’s report estimates the total financial irregularity at a staggering ₹2,000 crore.
The project was executed across Delhi government schools, especially in zones 23, 24, and 28, and awarded to 34 contractors, many of whom are alleged to have been closely affiliated with the AAP, the ruling party in Delhi. These details trace back to a 2019 complaint filed by BJP Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari, who had then raised red flags on the cost inflation and favoritism in awarding the contracts.
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A Trail of Cases: Sisodia and Jain Already Under Legal Scanner
This is not the first time that Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain have come under the lens of law enforcement agencies. In February 2023, Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Delhi liquor excise policy scam. He spent more than 17 months in jail before being released on bail.
Following the CBI’s report, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed another case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)against him.
Similarly, Satyendar Jain was arrested by the ED on May 30, 2022, also in a money laundering case, and was granted bail in 2024. His legal woes did not end there. In 2025, the CBI accused Jain of accepting a ₹7 crore bribe in return for waiving off a ₹16 crore penalty levied on Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
This incident, still under investigation, raised questions over alleged abuse of regulatory authority.
The fresh FIR filed by the ACB intensifies the legal challenges facing both leaders, who once held critical portfolios and were seen as the architects of AAP’s governance model in Delhi.
Political Fallout and AAP’s Defense
While the ACB functions under the Delhi government’s own administrative framework, the filing of this FIR further complicates AAP’s narrative, especially as it battles allegations of corruption while projecting a pro-clean governance stance.
The BJP, which has long accused the AAP leadership of running a “scam-ridden regime,” has seized on the development to renew its offensive. Senior BJP leaders have called for independent judicial inquiry and demanded that the accused be barred from holding any party positions.
The AAP, on the other hand, has dismissed the FIR as politically motivated, alleging that it is part of a broader effort to cripple honest governance models through legal intimidation. Party spokespersons argued that the classroom construction drive was among AAP’s landmark initiatives to improve Delhi’s public education infrastructure and that the allegations lack both substance and intent.
Meanwhile, the public narrative remains divided. While some hail the ACB’s action as a long-overdue step towards accountability, others question the timing and political overtones of the case, particularly as Delhi inches closer to municipal and assembly-level elections.