NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday conducted searches at the residence of Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj in connection to the alleged hospital construction scam.According to officials, the searches were conducted across 13 locations after an enforcement case information report was filed against the former health minister along with private contractors and unknown government officials.Reacting to ED’s action against Bharadwaj, former chief minister Atishi said that the raids were conducted to “divert attention” from the discussion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “fake degree.””Why was there a raid at Saurabh ji’s place today? Because questions are being raised across the country about Modi ji’s degree — is Modi ji’s degree fake? The raid was conducted to divert attention from this discussion,” Atishi wrote on X.”The case being cited pertains to a time when Saurabh ji wasn’t even a minister. This means the entire case is baseless. Satyendra ji was also kept in jail for three years, and ultimately, the CBI/ED had to submit a closure report. This clearly shows that all the cases against Aam Aadmi Party leaders are nothing but lies and politically motivated,” she added.What is hospital construction ‘scam’The Anti-Corruption Branch of Delhi Police had registered a case against Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain, besides some govt officials and private contractors, alleging large-scale corruption in Delhi govt’s health infrastructure projects.The investigation is claimed to have revealed massive irregularities, unexplained delays and significant misappropriation of funds in the construction of various hospitals, polyclinics and ICU infrastructure across the city.The FIR filed by the agency reveals systematic manipulation of project budgets, misuse of public funds and collusion with private contractors.The probe began last year after a complaint was filed by Vijender Gupta, the then leader of opposition, on Aug 22, 2024, alleging irregularities and suspected corruption in various health infrastructure projects. According to ACB, 24 hospital projects worth Rs 5,590 crore were sanctioned in 2018-19, but these were plagued by inexplicable delays and astronomical cost overruns, indicating massive financial embezzlement.”Similarly, the Rs 1,125 crore ICU Hospital Project, covering seven pre-engineered facilities with a total of 6,800 beds, remains only 50% complete after nearly three years and expenditure of Rs 800 crore, despite an initial six-month completion timeline,” ACB said.The FIR filed by the agency reveals systematic manipulation of project budgets, misuse of public funds and collusion with private contractors.The probe claimed to have revealed unauthorised additional construction at govt hospitals in Jwalapuri — by M/s Parnika Commercial & Estate Pvt Ltd — and Madipur — by M/s Ramacivil India Construction Pvt Ltd — carried out without approval from competent authorities. Notably, the Madipur hospital project was to be completed by Nov 2022, but remains abandoned and far from completion, states the FIR.
