Delhi classroom scam: Sisodia grilled for 3 hours by ACB

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was on Friday questioned for nearly three hours by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) over an alleged multi-crore rupee classroom scam.

The former deputy chief minister left the ACB office around 2.40 p.m. after appearing before investigators around noon.

While a defiant Sisodia lashed out at the BJP for allegedly 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.

An official ACB statement said, “The case is registered under Section 13(1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with IPC Sections 409 and 120B (dealing with criminal breach of trust and conspiracy).”

“Manish Sisodia was questioned in the presence of an independent witness, and his statements were recorded. Further investigation is currently underway,” said the ACB.

Earlier this month, the ACB issued summonses to Sisodia and former Health Minister Satyendar Jain. Jain appeared before investigators on June 6.

The summonses were linked to a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the ACB on April 30, alleging irregularities in the construction of 12,748 classrooms or semi-permanent structures in government schools.

According to the ACB, the alleged scam involved awarding contracts at inflated prices, each classroom reportedly costing Rs 24.86 lakh, nearly five times the standard cost. Investigators claimed the contracts were given to 34 contractors, many of whom had links to the AAP.

Further allegations include that the semi-permanent structures (SPS), designed to last around 30 years, were priced similarly to more durable Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) buildings, which typically have a lifespan of 75 years.

The ACB also noted that an additional Rs 326 crore was added to the project cost without fresh tenders.

The AAP has consistently dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.

IANS