Delhi Lt-G orders probe into bribery charges against Satyendar Jain
New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena has granted sanction for a probe against former Delhi Minister Satyendra Jain for allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 7 crore from officials of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
The probe will be led by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB).
As per the Lt Governor’s order, the AAP leader will be probed under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The alleged bribe was received by the former Delhi Minister to waive the penalty of Rs 16 crore imposed on BEL, which at the time was executing the project for the installation of CCTVs in 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi. The project was worth Rs 571 crore.
“LG agreed with the proposal of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption to refer the matter under Section 17 A of the Prevention of Corruption (PoC) Act, 1998 to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for approving an investigation against Jain by ACB,” Delhi Lt Governor’s office stated in an official statement.
According to an Lt Governor House communiqué, the controversy erupted following a September 2019 complaint from a BEL employee alleging that BEL, through its vendors, arranged a sum of Rs 7 crore bribe for Jain. The ACB’s subsequent investigation found corroborative evidence from secret sources, strengthening the case against Jain.
The Lt. The Governor’s Secretariat confirmed that reviewed documents indicated repeat orders were placed with vendors to facilitate the bribe, pointing to potential offences under the PoC Act. Allegedly, the bribe was routed to Jain through these vendors. Given the gravity of the accusations, the ACB argued there were sufficient grounds for a full investigation.
The ACB recorded statements from the complainant, who had faced a departmental enquiry (DE) related to the case. The complainant’s testimony, along with DE proceedings, highlighted the alleged bribery demand and payment.
The Directorate of Vigilance deduced a prima facie case under the PoC Act against Jain based on the complainant’s statements and other gathered evidence. However, the Public Works Department (PWD) could not provide a satisfactory rebuttal, attributing the matter to an internal issue of BEL. BEL also declined to disclose details, citing commercial confidentiality.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rejected the allegations against Satyendra Jain as false.