'They tried to create pressure on him': Kejriwal's big claim on ED raids at Saurabh Bhardwaj's residence 

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday lashed out at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after raids at the residence of his colleague Saurabh Bharadwaj, alleging that officials tried to pressure him into altering his statement.

The claim came after the ED conducted searches at 13 locations in Delhi and nearby areas, including the residence of former Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, in a money laundering investigation linked to alleged irregularities in hospital construction projects sanctioned during the AAP government’s tenure.

“The Assistant Director sent Saurabh Bharadwaj’s statement to his senior and then the whole story started. ED officials were about to wind up but the head of the raid came to him and asked to remove portions of his statement. They tried to create pressure on him but Saurabh Bharadwaj denied removing parts from his statement that were in his favour,” Kejriwal claimed.

Bharadwaj, a three-time MLA from Greater Kailash, has served as Delhi’s Health, Urban Development and Water Minister, chaired the Delhi Jal Board, and is one of the AAP’s official spokespersons.

The case originated from a complaint filed in August 2024 by then Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, alleging corruption in the sanction and execution of 24 hospital projects worth ₹5,590 crore during 2018-19. These included 11 new hospitals and 13 upgrades of existing facilities. According to ED, the projects were marred by delays, cost overruns, and suspected embezzlement. None of the hospitals were completed on time, with several hundred crores in escalated costs remaining unexplained.

One flagship scheme — the ₹1,125 crore ICU Hospital Project aimed at creating 6,800 beds across seven pre-engineered facilities — is reportedly only half complete despite heavy expenditure.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau had earlier registered a case against Bharadwaj and former Health Minister Satyendar Jain after receiving approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Allegations include manipulation of project budgets, misuse of public funds, and collusion with private contractors.

Reacting to the searches, senior AAP leader Atishi said the raids were politically motivated. “Why was Saurabh ji raided today? Because questions are being raised about Prime Minister Modi’s degree, whether it is fake. To divert attention from that debate, this raid was carried out,” she claimed.

Atishi further argued that Bharadwaj was not a minister during the period under investigation, calling the case “entirely fabricated.”