Even as the Delhi government’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on Tuesday arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain, former Delhi Jal Board (DJB) chief executive officer IAS Udit Prakash Rai, and four others in a case alleging manipulation of tender conditions for sewage treatment plant (STP) projects, the case is already proceeding in a Delhi court as a money laundering probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Investigation further revealed that Rajkumar Kurra, managing director of M/s EEPL, got the terms and conditions of the DJB tender manipulated through officials of DJB and private persons Nagendra Yadav and others, making the tender restrictive to the usage of ‘IFAS (Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge) technology with fixed media’ only and thereby, enabling Euroteck to become the sole supplier of technology in the said tender. It was lodged on a complaint by the Delhi government’s Directorate of Vigilance against Hyderabad based firm M/s Euroteck Environmental Pvt. Ltd. (M/s EEPL) and other unidentified persons under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including cheating and criminal conspiracy and under sections of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act.
The ACB’s case was registered on May 11, 2024, when Jain was the Delhi water minister and chairman of DJB. In its chargesheet, the agency said that an amount of ₹ 6.73 crores was paid as illegal commission (bribes) through banking channels and cash at the behest of the accused persons and bogus invoices and advances were allegedly used to disguise some of the payments. Earlier reporting noted: AAP leader Satyendar Jain among 6 arrested in Delhi Jal Board tender scam Former Delhi minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Kumar Jain and former Delhi Jal Board (DJB) CEO Udit Prakash Rai were among six people arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) on Tuesday in an alleged corruption and tender-manipulation case linked to the augmentation and upgradation of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the national capital.
ED said that Euroteck allegedly obtained ₹ 9.96 crores in undue profits as a result of the arrangement and some money was also allegedly moved through hawala channels.
Broadly, the ACB’s allegations said that tender conditions and technical specifications were allegedly made unnecessarily restrictive, limiting genuine competition. The agency further said that electronic communication between public officials, private parties and intermediaries showed discussions about tender conditions and corrigenda before they appeared in the official tender documents. Earlier reporting noted: According to the ACB, the investigation concerns alleged large-scale irregularities, manipulation of tender conditions and criminal conspiracy in the tendering process for DJB’s STP projects. The agency said these conditions limited competition and allegedly gave an undue advantage to the selected private entity.
Earlier reporting noted: Investigators have alleged that the tender included restrictive technical specifications and conditions that favoured a particular technology provider, M/s Euroteck Environment Private Limited.
