‘It Is a Victory of Truth’: Satyendar Jain Gets Bail in DJB Corruption Case

New Delhi, Sep 3 : A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain in a corruption case related to alleged irregularities in the tendering of sewage treatment plant (STP) projects of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

Special Judge Digvinay Singh of the Rouse Avenue Courts directed Jain's release on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and two sureties of the same amount. The court's detailed order is awaited.

Jain was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on August 18 along with four others in connection with the case. He and three other accused were subsequently sent to 14 days' judicial custody, while former DJB contractual consultant Ankit Shrivastava was remanded to two days of ACB custody.

The ACB had opposed Jain's bail plea, alleging that he played a "vital role in manipulating" DJB tenders to favour a private company.

The case was registered on May 11, 2024, following a complaint by the Delhi government's Directorate of Vigilance, which alleged "large-scale irregularities" and "criminal conspiracy" in contracts for the augmentation and upgradation of DJB sewage treatment plants.

The investigation relates to alleged manipulation of tender conditions and suspected bribe payments. According to the prosecution, three companies were awarded contracts initially estimated at Rs 1,546 crore, with the value subsequently increasing to Rs 1,943 crore.

On August 19, the court had rejected Jain's plea challenging the legality of his arrest. He faces charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.

Reacting to the bail order, Jain described it as a "victory of truth" and questioned the circumstances surrounding the registration of the case.

"It is a victory of truth. For your knowledge, I would like to tell you that this is a very unusual case. The last time the ED arrested me, during the intervening period, this case was registered against me while I was in jail. So, this is a very astonishing case in itself," Jain said.

Jain was represented by Senior Advocate N Hariharan and Advocate Vivek Jain. His counsel said the court found no justification for keeping him incarcerated.

"We are hoping he will come out today itself. The court has observed that all these allegations made against Mr. Jain are not worthy of keeping him in jail, and he should not be incarcerated any further," Vivek Jain said.

He added that Jain had been directed not to remain outside Delhi for more than two days without informing the investigating officer. Apart from this, he said, the court had imposed no other major condition.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal welcomed the development and questioned the basis of Jain's arrest.

"Today, Satyendra Jain has been granted bail. Why was he arrested? No one can figure it out," Kejriwal said in a post on X. He argued that Jain was not sent to police custody for questioning and was instead directly remanded to judicial custody.

"The case against him was so weak that he got bail in just ten days. Modi ji, what did you achieve from this?" Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal further accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of focusing on sending political opponents to jail instead of governing the country.