Delhi: ED Raids AAP Leader Saurabh Bhardwaj’s Residence, Probe Intensifies in ₹5,590 Crore Hospital Construction Scam
New Delhi: A major political stir erupted in the national capital on Tuesday morning after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out a raid at the residence of senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj. The raid is linked to the ongoing investigation into the alleged hospital construction scam, pegged at around ₹5,590 crore.
What is the Hospital Construction Scam?
Back in 2018-19, the Delhi government had approved the construction of 24 modern hospitals to upgrade the city’s healthcare infrastructure. The plan envisioned completion within just six months. However, the reality turned out starkly different:
- Even after three years beyond the deadline, most projects remain incomplete.
- Around ₹800 crore has already been spent, but only 50% of the work is reported to be finished.
- The LNJP Hospital project cost alone shot up from ₹488 crore to ₹1,135 crore, yet progress has been sluggish.
- Several construction activities reportedly began without valid approvals.
Further irregularities surfaced in the appointment of contractors and their working methods. The long-delayed Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) project, pending since 2016, is also suspected to have been deliberately stalled.
Who is Under the Scanner?
The ED probe has brought two prominent names into focus:
- Saurabh Bhardwaj – Former Delhi Health Minister
- Satyendar Jain – Bhardwaj’s predecessor in the Health Ministry
The agency had already filed an ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) in this matter and is now intensifying the investigation through raids and evidence collection.
