26 August, Tuesday: On Tuesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at 13 places, including the house of Aam Aadmi Party MLA and leader Saurabh Bhardwaj, investigating a money laundering case related to suspicions of irregularities in hospital building works worth ₹5,590 crore. According to Hindustan Times, officials have confirmed the raids but did not provide immediate details of the assets seized or any financial misconduct.
Allegations of widespread corruption in hospital projects
The investigation is based on alleged corruption in 24 hospital projects that were approved in 2018-19, the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), which registered the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), said. The projects involved 11 new hospitals and the upgradation of 13 hospitals. Hindustan Times reported that the ACB discovered "massive irregularities, unexplained delays and significant misappropriation of funds" in these schemes, such as the ₹1,125 crore ICU Hospital Project to build 6,800 beds, which is still half-finished despite huge expenditure.
The case was initiated after a complaint by then Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta in August 2024 that there was collusion between officers and contractors. The ACB claimed that it had filed the case after clearance under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
AAP terms case politically motivated
AAP leaders criticized the raids vehemently as politically motivated. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the action of "misuse of agencies" to muzzle the opposition. AAP leader Atishi also contended that Bhardwaj was not a minister at the time and stated the case was "totally fabricated." She compared it to former Health Minister Satyandra Jain, who was sent to jail for three years before the CBI filed a closure report.
Former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia was quoted by India Today as associating the raids with the recent row over the Prime Minister's graduation degree, terming the case "false" and designed to distract from national issues. He also accused the PM's degree of being "fake," just like the case against Bhardwaj was fabricated.
While ED insists the case is about serious corruption in public health infrastructure, AAP has termed it a politically motivated action. The investigation, however, raises new questions about accountability in high-value hospital projects in Delhi.
