New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday raided several places, including the residence of former Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, as part of its money laundering probe into the alleged hospital construction scam in the national capital. “Raids are currently underway at 13 locations in Delhi-NCR,” a senior ED official told The Tribune.
The raids are related to an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) registered on the basis of an FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi Police. The FIR names former health ministers of the Delhi government, private contractors and unidentified officials for their alleged role in the irregularities.
According to investigators, the case relates to large-scale corruption, unauthorised cost escalation, unauthorised construction and misuse of funds in health infrastructure projects under the National Capital Territory of Delhi government.
ED teams are also inspecting Bhardwaj’s premises as well as the premises of private contractors to check suspected diversion and laundering of public funds earmarked for the construction of the hospital.
The case was initially registered against the then Leader of Opposition and The current Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta had filed a complaint alleging serious irregularities in hospital projects under the AAP-led government.
It has been alleged that 24 hospital projects worth Rs 5,590 crore were sanctioned during 2018-19 but are largely incomplete, with an unauthorised increase in cost. Similarly, the Rs 1,125 crore ICU hospital project - which includes seven pre-engineered facilities with 6,800 beds - has been completed only 50 per cent despite an expenditure of Rs 800 crore and an original deadline of six months nearly three years ago.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has condemned the raids, calling them politically motivated. The AAP said the action was taken to divert attention from the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's college degree.