The Enforcement Directorate carried out raids at Saurabh Bharadwaj’s home and nearly a dozen other locations in Delhi. Officials said the action is linked to suspected corruption in the construction of hospitals sanctioned when Bharadwaj was health minister. The raids mark a major step in the central agency’s probe, which stems from a complaint filed earlier by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB).
Findings of the ACB
The Anti-Corruption Branch had flagged large-scale irregularities in hospital projects approved by the AAP government in 2018–19. Investigators revealed that 24 projects, including 11 new hospitals and 13 expansion works, were sanctioned at a cost of more than ₹5,500 crore. However, the projects suffered from unexplained delays and heavy cost escalations. These signs, the ACB said, pointed towards widespread financial embezzlement. Based on its FIR, the ED registered a money laundering case.
Allegations of Financial Mismanagement
Sources said the AAP government had approved ₹5,590 crore for hospital construction. Intensive care facilities were to be completed within six months, but even after three years, most projects remained unfinished. Despite this, nearly half the sanctioned funds had already been spent.
The ED suspects that these funds were misused for personal and political gains. At Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital, the budget rose from ₹488 crore to ₹1,135 crore without visible results. In several cases, construction began without approval, and contractors were flagged as suspicious. Moreover, the Hospital Information Management System (HIMS), pending since 2016, was allegedly stalled on purpose.
AAP Terms Raids Politically Motivated
The Aam Aadmi Party strongly condemned the raids. Party leader Atishi accused the Centre of using investigative agencies to target the opposition and divert attention from controversies surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational qualifications.
“Why was there a raid at Saurabh ji’s place today? Because questions are being raised across the country about Modi ji’s degree is Modi ji’s degree fake? The raid was conducted to divert attention from this discussion,” Atishi wrote on X. She added that Bharadwaj was not even a minister when many of these irregularities were raised, which, according to her, proves the case is false.
She also recalled that former AAP minister Satyendar Jain was jailed for three years, and later, both the CBI and ED submitted closure reports. “This clearly shows that all the cases against Aam Aadmi Party leaders are nothing but lies and politically motivated,” Atishi said.
Timeline of the Case
The controversy dates back to 2016, when the HIMS project was proposed but repeatedly delayed. In 2018–19, the AAP government sanctioned more than ₹5,500 crore for hospital projects, with ICU facilities expected to be ready within months. However, progress remained slow, and cost overruns continued. By 2023–24, the ACB had registered a case highlighting massive irregularities.
In 2025, the ED took over the probe under money laundering charges. On August 26, the agency raided Bharadwaj’s home and other locations, intensifying the investigation into possible financial mismanagement and political collusion.