The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday searched 13 locations, including the residence of senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to alleged irregularities in hospital construction projects worth Rs 5,590 crore sanctioned during the AAP government’s tenure.
Officials said the searches covered premises in Delhi and nearby areas. The agency has not yet disclosed details of assets seized or specific financial irregularities detected during the operation.
Bhardwaj, a three-time MLA from Greater Kailash, has held key portfolios in the Delhi government, including Health, Urban Development and Water, chaired the Delhi Jal Board, and serves as one of the AAP’s official spokespersons.
The case stems from a complaint filed in August 2024 by then Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, alleging corruption in the sanction and execution of 24 hospital projects during 2018-19. These projects involved the construction of 11 new hospitals and the upgradation of 13 existing facilities.
According to the ED, the projects suffered from severe delays, cost overruns, and suspected embezzlement of public funds. None of the hospitals were completed on time, and several hundred crores in escalated costs remain unaccounted for.
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One of the major schemes under scrutiny is the Rs 1,125 crore ICU Hospital Project, which aimed to create 6,800 beds across seven pre-engineered facilities. Despite heavy expenditure, the project is reportedly only half complete.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau had earlier registered a case against Bhardwaj and former Health Minister Satyendar Jain after receiving approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Allegations include manipulation of budgets, misuse of funds, and collusion with private contractors.
Reacting to the raids, senior AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said the action was politically motivated.
“Why was Saurabh ji raided today? Because questions are being raised about Prime Minister Modi's degree, whether it is fake. To divert attention from that debate, this raid was carried out,” she claimed.
Atishi further argued that Bhardwaj was not serving as a minister during the period under investigation, calling the case “entirely fabricated”. She pointed to the example of Satyendar Jain, who spent three years in jail before the CBI and ED filed a closure report.
“This makes it clear that all cases against AAP leaders are false and politically driven,” she said.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also alleged that the timing of the raids was linked to questions raised by the Opposition about the Prime Minister’s degree.
“Yesterday the entire country questioned Modi ji’s degree. When the truth of the degree came out, a raid was carried out on Saurabh Bhardwaj to distract attention. The question was simple — is Modi ji's degree fake? Instead of answering, raids were ordered on AAP leaders,” Sisodia said.
He added that just as the Prime Minister’s degree was “fake”, the case against Bhardwaj was also baseless.
Referring to Jain’s imprisonment, Sisodia said, “He was kept in jail for three years, CBI and ED investigated day and night, but found nothing. The truth is these cases are fabricated. The real fight is not about corruption but about suppressing the honesty of AAP.”
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