The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) finds itself mired in yet another controversy as former Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain faces fresh corruption allegations in connection with a Rs 571 crore CCTV installation project. The Delhi government’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a case against Jain, accusing him of taking a Rs 7 crore bribe to waive a Rs 16 crore penalty imposed due to project delays.

According to the ACB’s statement released on Wednesday, the case has been registered under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The allegations stem from the installation of over one lakh CCTV cameras across Delhi’s 70 Assembly segments, with a second order of an additional 1.4 lakh cameras allegedly placed after the initial delay.

The case is reportedly based on the testimony of an official from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), who detailed alleged irregularities and “shoddy” installations. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi has criticized AAP, accusing the party of suppressing the investigation when it was in power.

BJP Attacks AAP Over Corruption Allegations

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva has slammed AAP over the fresh charges against Jain. He alleged that the tender for the Rs 571 crore project was awarded to BEL, and Jain took a Rs 7 crore bribe to waive off financial penalties. “BJP had complained then also… but AAP tried to suppress the investigation. No matter how much you tried to hide corruption, you have to answer now,” Sachdeva stated.

Neither AAP nor Satyendar Jain has responded to the allegations yet.

More Legal Trouble for AAP Leaders

This fresh case adds to the mounting legal troubles for top AAP leaders. Satyendar Jain, who was granted bail in October last year after spending two years in custody in a money laundering case, is also facing prosecution in a disproportionate assets case.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia are also battling corruption charges. Kejriwal has been accused of misusing public funds for promotional posters, while Sisodia is embroiled in an alleged Rs 2,000 crore scam linked to classroom construction in Delhi government schools. Jain is also named in this case.

The controversial Delhi liquor excise policy scam also remains under investigation. Last month, a Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) report stated that the state suffered a Rs 2,002 crore loss due to policy irregularities.

AAP Denies Charges, Calls It a Political Vendetta

AAP has dismissed all allegations, claiming they are politically motivated and orchestrated by the BJP to tarnish its image. The party has also denied accusations that Kejriwal misused Rs 45 crore of taxpayers’ money for renovating his official residence.

Despite its denials, AAP suffered a massive defeat in the recent Delhi Assembly elections, where the BJP secured 48 of the 70 seats, marking a significant power shift in the capital after nearly three decades.

The gruesome murder of Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput, allegedly at the hands of his wife Muskaan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla, has taken a shocking turn as Muskaan’s own parents have demanded the harshest punishment for their daughter.

Muskaan, accused of brutally killing her husband and concealing his body in a cement-filled drum, has been arrested along with Sahil. Speaking to the media, her parents, Pramod Kumar Rastogi and Kavita Rastogi, made it clear that they stand with Saurabh’s family and want justice for him.

Parents’ shocking stance: “She must be hanged”

Muskaan’s parents have taken a firm stand against their daughter, emphasizing that she must face the death penalty for her crime. “She should be hanged. She has lost the right to live,” said her parents in a heart-wrenching statement.

Her mother, Kavita Rastogi, recalled how they themselves ensured her arrest. “She confessed that she had killed Saurabh and we immediately took her to the police station. She told us, ‘Mummy, we killed Saurabh’,” she revealed.

Chilling details of the crime

According to police, Saurabh, who worked for a US-based company, had returned home for his six-year-old daughter’s birthday when he was murdered on March 4. Muskaan and Sahil allegedly stabbed him, dismembered his body into 15 pieces, and sealed them in a plastic drum with cement.

To mislead people, the couple used Saurabh’s phone to post pictures while escaping to the hills. However, their plan fell apart when Saurabh’s family, unable to reach him, reported his disappearance, leading to their arrest. After interrogation, they confessed to the crime, and Saurabh’s remains were recovered from the drum.

Drugs as a possible motive

Muskaan’s parents also alleged that drugs played a key role in the murder. “She told us that her friend (Sahil) feared Saurabh would stop their drug sessions,” said her father.

Her mother added that Saurabh always supported Muskaan, even after she moved away from his family. “Saurabh left everything for her, even his family and their property worth crores. And yet she got him killed,” she said.

A marriage that turned deadly

Saurabh and Muskaan had a love marriage in 2016. In an attempt to spend more time with his wife, Saurabh initially left his job in the Merchant Navy. However, this decision caused friction with his family, leading him to move out with Muskaan.

By 2019, the couple had a daughter, but trouble soon followed. Saurabh discovered Muskaan’s affair with Sahil, which led to tension and discussions about divorce. Ultimately, for the sake of his daughter, he decided to stay in the marriage and rejoined the Merchant Navy in 2023.

However, during his absence, Muskaan and Sahil’s relationship deepened, eventually leading them to commit the horrifying murder.

Now, their six-year-old daughter is in the custody of Muskaan’s parents, as legal proceedings move forward in one of the most chilling crimes to come out of Meerut in recent times.

Authorities have issued an avalanche alert for several high-altitude regions in Himachal Pradesh due to changing weather conditions. The Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment, Chandigarh, has placed an orange alert (unsafe condition) for areas above 2,850 metres in Chamba and 2,900 metres in Lahaul and Spiti.

Additionally, a yellow alert (partly unsafe conditions) has been issued for Kullu and Kinnaur (above 2,900 metres), while a green alert (isolated instability) has been declared for Shimla district.

Weather forecast: Light rain, snow expected

The Met office has forecast a wet spell in Himachal Pradesh until Friday, with light rain and snowfall expected in isolated areas of Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, and the higher reaches of Chamba from Wednesday to Friday.

Despite a mostly dry spell in the past 24 hours, some regions have recorded light precipitation:

Pandoh: 3.5 mm of rain

Chamba & Dalhousie: 1 cm of snow

Thunderstorms: Reported in Kangra

Temperature variations across Himachal Pradesh

Temperatures in the state continue to fluctuate significantly:

Tabo (Lahaul & Spiti) recorded the coldest temperature at minus 8°C.

Dhaulakuan (Sirmaur district) was the warmest, with a maximum temperature of 30.3°C.

Above-average rainfall in March

From March 1 to March 18, Himachal Pradesh has received 75.3 mm of rainfall, which is 11% higher than the normal 67.7 mm for this period.

Authorities have advised residents and tourists in high-altitude regions to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel in areas prone to avalanches.