Delhi PWD minister Satyendar Jain's house was raided by the CBI
Highlights
- CBI raid in connection with hirings in Public Works Department
- Contract documents for hiring 24 people not transparent, says CBI
- "What does PM Modi want?", tweeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi minister Satyendar Jain was raided by the CBI this morning over alleged violation in the hiring of consultants for a government body that he oversees. Soon after the raids, a furious Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, tweeted: "What does the PM Modi want?"
Satyendar Jain is the minister in charge of the Public Words Department (PWD) in Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party government. He has been accused of violating rules to hire a creative team for PWD.
"CBI raids my house for hiring creative team by PWD. Professionals were hired for different projects. All were forced to leave by CBI," Mr Jain said in a post that was retweeted by Mr Kejriwal.
Officials have confirmed that searches at five more locations, including residences of other PWD officials and private persons were carried out. The CBI has also registered a fresh case against Mr Jain.
The CBI alleges that the contract documents for the hiring of 24 people for "mohalla clinics" and other PWD projects were not in order.
The search team arrived at the minister's doorstep a day after the CBI closed an investigation into his daughter Soumya Jain's appointment as an adviser to the "mohalla clinic (neighbourhood clinic)" project launched after AAP took power in Delhi.
Sources say the CBI did not find any evidence to prosecute Soumya Jain.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, quoting a report, said the creative teams had been approved by the central plan body NITI Aayog. "The Aam Aadmi Party is not going to stop with this practice," Mr Sisodia said while hitting out at the Centre alleging it is using the CBI to distract people from the good work the state government is doing.
"Six months ago, the CBI came to my house as well. We are working for education, for power, for so many other problems in the city. Nothing is going to come out of these raids. This is all happening just to distract the people from the work we are doing. They are trying to defame us," said the deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.