AAP's Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia Summoned In Rs 2,000-Crore Classroom Construction Scam

Last Updated:June 04, 2025, 08:13 IST

The ACB has summoned Satyendar Jain on June 6 and Manish Sisodia has been asked to appear on June 9

AAP leaders and former Delhi Ministers Satendar Jain and Manish Sisodia.

The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi government has summoned senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and former Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in connection with the alleged Rs 2,000-crore classroom construction scam.

Jain, who handled Public Works, Health, Urban Development and other key portfolios under the Arvind Kejriwal-led government, has been summoned on June 6. Sisodia, who oversaw Education, Finance and several other departments, has been asked to appear on June 9.

The case stems from an FIR registered by the ACB on April 30 after President Droupadi Murmu approved prosecution. The FIR cites findings from the Central Vigilance Commission’s (CVC) Chief Technical Examiner report, which flagged serious anomalies in the construction of 12,748 classrooms or semi-permanent structures during AAP’s tenure. According to Joint Commissioner Madhur Verma, the CVC report was kept under wraps for nearly three years before the investigation was launched.

At the heart of the allegations is massive cost escalation. While the original estimated cost was around Rs 1,200 per square foot, actual expenses shot up to approximately Rs 2,292 per square foot. The ACB claims each classroom cost around Rs 24.86 lakh to build — significantly higher than the roughly Rs 5 lakh typically spent for similar structures in Delhi.

The 2020 CVC report also highlighted multiple procedural violations, including contracts awarded without proper bidding, inflated costs without fresh tenders, and the appointment of private consultants without following norms. It further pointed to duplication of work, construction without actual demand, and mismanagement of funds and schedules. A total of 34 contractors, several allegedly linked to AAP, were involved in the project.

The BJP, whose leaders Kapil Mishra, Harish Khurana and Neelkant Bakshi had raised the initial complaint in 2019, has accused the AAP government of large-scale corruption and financial mismanagement in three school zones.

The AAP has maintained that the allegations are politically motivated, accusing the BJP of weaponising institutions to target its leaders and create a false narrative.

Both Sisodia and Jain are already facing separate legal challenges. Sisodia was arrested in the Delhi excise policy case, while Jain was detained in a money laundering investigation. Both are currently out on bail.

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