The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on Wednesday sought 14 days of judicial custody for former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, ex-Delhi Jal Board CEO Udit Prakash Rai and three others in an alleged corruption case linked to the tendering of sewage treatment plant projects of the DJB.
In its submissions to Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh, the ACB sought the police custody of only one of the total six accused, Ankit Srivastava, a former contractual consultant with the DJB.
Counsel for Jain said that after the FIR was registered "way back on May 10, 2024," his client was called once on August 5, 2026, and then a second time through a phone call on Tuesday, after which he was arrested.
The advocate claimed there was no material to justify the arrest. He said that a bail plea would also be moved on behalf of Jain.
Rai's counsel also challenged his client's arrest, saying he was currently posted as secretary in the Mizoram government.
The advocates of other accused also assailed the grounds of arrest.
The proceedings are underway.
The case was registered in May 2024 on a complaint by the Directorate of Vigilance, over alleged large-scale irregularities, manipulation of tender conditions and criminal conspiracy in the tendering process related to augmentation and upgradation of sewage treatment plants of the DJB.
Meanwhile, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal questioned the arrest of Satyendar Jain, claiming that he was arrested following the direction of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Kejriwal made the remarks in a post on X, a day after Jain and five others were arrested in connection with an alleged corruption case involving the tendering process for sewage treatment plant projects of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
"An ACB official revealed that there was no plan for ACB to arrest Satyendra Jain until morning.
Then in the afternoon, a direct call came from Amit Shah ji saying, 'Arrest him'.
That's when the arrest was made," Kejriwal claimed.
There was no immediate response available from the BJP over this allegation.
Kejriwal also asked Shah to explain why he allegedly put pressure on the investigating agency to arrest Jain.
AAP Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj also questioned Jain's arrest and termed the case against him "fake".
(With inputs from PTI)
