The Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain in a corruption case concerning alleged irregularities in the tendering process for sewage treatment plant (STP) projects of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh of Rouse Avenue Courts allowed Jain’s bail plea and directed him to furnish a personal bond of ₹2 lakh along with two sureties of the same amount.
He was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on August 18 along with five others and was subsequently sent to judicial custody. The case, registered in May 2024 on a complaint by the Delhi Government’s Directorate of Vigilance, concerns alleged manipulation of tender conditions for DJB’s STP projects. The ACB has alleged that the tender specifications were tailored to favour Euroteck Environment Pvt. Ltd., restricting competition and providing undue advantage to the private company.
During the bail hearing, Senior Advocate N. Hariharan, appearing for Jain, argued that the FIR had been registered in May 2024 but Jain was arrested only after 27 months. He submitted that Jain had cooperated with the investigation and that the evidence was primarily documentary and had already been collected. The defence also argued that the alleged decisions concerned policy matters and that Jain was not a flight risk.
The ACB opposed bail, submitting that the investigation was still underway and alleging that Jain had played a key role in manipulating the STP tender process. The agency alleged that the capacity of the Rohini STP was increased from 15 MGD to 30 MGD without adequate technical recommendation or feasibility study, while changes to the tender specifications allegedly benefited the selected technology provider. However, the court has granted bail to him.