ED Raids AAP Leader Saurabh Bharadwaj’s Home in Delhi Hospital Construction Scam
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at 13 locations across Delhi and nearby areas, including the residence of senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former minister Saurabh Bharadwaj. The raids are part of a money laundering investigation into alleged large-scale irregularities in hospital construction projects sanctioned during the AAP government’s tenure.
Officials confirmed that the searches are linked to a case that originated from a complaint filed by then Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta in August 2024. The complaint alleged massive corruption in the sanction and execution of 24 hospital projects, valued at ₹5,590 crore, between 2018 and 2019. These projects involved the construction of 11 new hospitals and the upgrade of 13 existing facilities.
Saurabh Bharadwaj, a three-time MLA from Greater Kailash and a key spokesperson for the AAP, has previously held significant portfolios, including Health, Urban Development, and Water, and also served as the chairman of the Delhi Jal Board.
According to the ED, the probe is focused on allegations of project delays, significant cost overruns, and suspected embezzlement of public funds. Investigators have pointed out that none of the sanctioned hospitals were completed on schedule, and several hundred crores in escalated costs remain unexplained. A flagship scheme, the ₹1,125 crore ICU Hospital Project, which aimed to create 6,800 beds, is reportedly only half-finished despite heavy expenditure.
The central agency’s investigation follows a case registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau against both Bharadwaj and another former Health Minister, Satyendar Jain. The allegations include manipulating project budgets and colluding with private contractors. The ED has not yet disclosed details of any seizures made during Tuesday’s raids, and the investigation is ongoing.
