The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday searched the residence of former Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj in connection with a money-laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the construction of 24 hospitals sanctioned by the Aam Aadmi Party government, The Indian Express reported.

Bharadwaj is currently the MLA representing the Greater Kailash constituency in New Delhi.

At least 13 locations, including Bharadwaj’s home and offices of two construction companies in West Patel Nagar and Kasturba Gandhi Marg, were raided under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the newspaper quoted the probe agency as saying.

The case stems from a complaint filed by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Vijender Gupta in August 2024.

In June, the Anti-Corruption Branch had registered a case against Bharadwaj and former health minister Satyendar Jain regarding irregularities in the sanctioning and construction of 24 hospitals worth approximately Rs 5,590 crore in 2018-’19.

Gupta had alleged that Bharadwaj and Jain were involved in systematically manipulating project budgets, misusing public funds and colluding with private contractors.

The projects included constructing of 11 new hospitals, and developing and improving 13 existing facilities.

However, police said in June that unexplained delays and cost overruns “amounting to several hundred crores” were found in the projects and that none had been completed within the stipulated time.

Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday dismissed the raids as “another case of the [Narendra] Modi government misusing agencies”.

“The way AAP is being targeted has never been done to any party in history,” the former Delhi chief minister said in a social media post. “AAP is being targeted because it is the most vocal voice against the Modi government’s wrong policies and corrupt deeds. The Modi government wants to suppress our voice.”

His party colleague Atishi also condemned the raids, calling them politically motivated and an attempt to deflect attention from the controversy over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational qualifications.

“The case being cited pertains to a time when Saurabh ji was not even a minister,” she said in a social media post. “This means the entire case is baseless.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Delhi chief Virendra Sachdeva welcomed the ED action. “AAP leaders have been constantly destroying and looting Delhi,” he said.

“AAP has looted Delhi more than the Mughals,” PTI quoted Sachdeva as saying. “The sooner their scams are brought before the world, the better.”

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