Ex-AAP ministers Sisodia, Jain summoned in classroom scam case

The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) of the Delhi Government has summoned Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and former Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in connection with the alleged Rs 2,000-crore classroom scam case, a senior ACB official said here on Wednesday.

According to the official, Jain has been asked to appear before the department on June 6, while Sisodia has been summoned for questioning on June 9.

Political ploy by BJP 

This is not a scam by any stretch. It's a calculated political ploy by the BJP. They are weaponising institutions to attack AAP leaders and create a false narrative. There is no substance to these allegations. -- AAP 

The AAP sharply reacted to the development and accused the ruling BJP of using the ACB as a tool to target its leaders. "This is not a scam by any stretch. It's a calculated political ploy by the BJP. They are weaponising institutions to attack AAP leaders and create a false narrative. There is no substance to these allegations. It is pure politics," the party said.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities in the construction of over 12,700 school classrooms across the city during their tenure in the AAP-led government.

An FIR was registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code following complaints from BJP leaders Harish Khurana, Kapil Mishra, and Neelkanth Bakshi.

The complainants accused the former ministers of overseeing construction projects at exorbitant costs —reportedly Rs 24.86 lakh per classroom — when similar structures could typically be built for around Rs 5 lakh in Delhi.

The ACB, based on the complaint, launched an investigation to examine the alleged conspiracy and determine the roles of the former ministers, government officials, and associated contractors.

After a preliminary examination of the complaint, the ACB found a series of violations in the construction of classrooms following which it approached the competent authority with a proposal to seek legal action against former AAP Ministers.

According to the officials, the ACB's initial probe revealed that despite a 2015-16 finance committee decision capping costs and timelines, most projects saw major delays and cost overruns.

In several instances, the contract values escalated by 17 per cent to 90 per cent, with Rs 205.45 crore attributed to the use of richer construction specifications, bypassing the need for fresh tenders—an alleged violation of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) norms.

Notably, a report by the Chief Technical Examiner of the CVC — approved in February 2020 but allegedly withheld for three years — cited multiple violations of CPWD and CVC guidelines. It also pointed out that the cost of constructing SPS classrooms was nearly equivalent to building permanent structures, defeating the stated purpose of cost efficiency.