Delhi court grants bail to AAP's Satyendar Jain in ACB case - Bar and Bench

**Delhi Court Grants Bail to Former AAP Minister Satyendar Jain in DJB Tender Scam Case**

A Delhi Sessions Court on Wednesday granted bail to former Delhi government minister Satyendar Jain, a senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), in the Anti‑Corruption Bureau (ACB)‑filed case concerning alleged irregularities in a sewage‑treatment‑plant (STP) tender of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The bail order, passed by a bench presided over by Justice M. Raghavendra, released Jain on a personal bond of ₹ 50,000 with the condition that he surrender his passport and cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation. The court’s decision came after Jain had been in judicial custody for more than three months following his arrest in February on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and misuse of official position.

The case stems from the 2019 award of a contract to construct a 20‑million‑litre‑per‑day STP at the DJB’s Shivaji Park complex. Investigators allege that the tender was manipulated to favor a private firm linked to Jain, resulting in a loss of public funds estimated at ₹ 300 crore. The ACB’s charge sheet, filed in early 2024, claims that Jain, then serving as Minister of Water and Sanitation, used his authority to bypass standard procurement norms, pressurised senior DJB officials, and received kickbacks in exchange for the award. Alongside Jain, the ACB has also taken former DJB CEOs—M. Rai and Nagendra Yadav—into police custody for two days, underscoring the breadth of the probe into the board’s contracting practices.

Political observers note that Jain’s bail is likely to fuel renewed debate ahead of the upcoming municipal elections, with the AAP framing the case as a politically motivated “witch‑hunt,” while opposition parties argue that the bail does not exonerate the alleged misconduct. The court, however, emphasized that bail does not equate to acquittal and that Jain will remain subject to further judicial scrutiny. The ACB has confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and that additional witnesses and documentary evidence will be presented before the trial court later this year.

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