The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it had seized over 300 passbooks linked to mule accounts opened in the names of labourers that were allegedly used to divert the Delhi government funds from the “classroom construction scam” during the previous Aam Aadmi Party regime. The Aam Aadmi Party dismissed the ED’s action as a “desperate” bid to divert public attention.(HT file photo)

The passbooks were seized after the probe agency conducted searches in connection with the case at 37 locations in Delhi on June 18.

In a statement, the ED said officials have “unearthed substantial incriminating evidence from the premises of a private contractor”.

“Among the materials seized were original departmental files belonging to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, as well as rubber stamps bearing the names and designations of officials from the Public Works Department (PWD),” it said.

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The agency added that officials also found “322 bank passbooks linked to mule accounts (used for transacting illicit funds) opened in the names of labourers used to divert government funds under the guise of legitimate transactions”.

The agency also seized “forged letterheads” of private contractors and shell entities, which were allegedly used to create fake procurement records and fictitious purchase bills.

The ED said the case pertains to financial “misappropriation” exceeding ₹2,000 crore in the construction of 12,748 additional classrooms by the PWD between 2015 and 2023.

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Despite an initial requirement for 2,405 classrooms, the project scope was “arbitrarily” increased to 7,180 equivalent classrooms and, subsequently, to 12,748 rooms “without” proper sanction or approvals, resulting in “massive” cost escalations, the agency said.

Aam Aadmi Party reacts

The Aam Aadmi Party dismissed the ED’s action as a “desperate” bid to divert public attention, calling the allegations against its leaders “politically motivated.”

In a statement on June 18, the party said the “so-called raids” were a diversionary tactic, describing the charges as baseless and timed to deflect focus from the BJP’s “anti-people actions.”

The ED case, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), stems from an FIR registered by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi on April 30 against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and former ministers in the cabinet of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal — Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and some others.