New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Delhi Zonal Office conducted search operations at 37 locations across the national Capital under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in the Delhi classroom construction irregularities case and recovered digital evidence and 322 bank passbooks linked to mule accounts opened in the names of labourers, allegedly to divert government funds.

“During the searches, original departmental files belonging to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) and rubber stamps of officials of Public Works Department (PWD), various incriminating documents showing fake invoices submitted to GNCTD departments, showing inflated/bogus claims, digital evidence and 322 bank passbooks linked to mule accounts opened in the names of labourers to divert government funds were recovered and seized”, said an ED Press statement on Friday.

It is pertinent to note here that the ED initiated this investigation on the basis of a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on April 30, alleging irregularities in the construction of 12,748 classrooms or semi-permanent structures in government schools.

On April 30, the ACB registered a FIR against senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ministers Manish Sisodia (the then Education Minister) and Satyendar Jain (the then Public Works Department minister) and others, over alleged corruption in the construction of classrooms.

The FIR was pertaining to financial misappropriation exceeding Rs 2,000 crore in the construction of approximately 12,748 additional classrooms by the PWD, between 2015 and 2023.

Notably, Manish Sisodia on Friday was questioned for nearly three hours by the ACB over the same case.

The former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi left the ACB’s office at around 2.40 P.M. after appearing before investigators around noon.

While the former education minister accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing investigative agencies for political vendetta, the ACB said that the scam involved inflated costs in the construction of classrooms and school buildings under the Delhi government.

–IANS

sas/rad