Bhardwaj, a three-time MLA from Greater Kailash, has previously held key portfolios as Delhi’s Health, Urban Development, and Water Minister, chaired the Delhi Jal Board, and serves as an official spokesperson for the AAP. The case stems from a complaint lodged in August 2024 by then Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, alleging corruption in the approval and execution of 24 hospital projects valued at ₹5,590 crore during 2018–19. These projects involved constructing 11 new hospitals and upgrading 13 existing ones.
According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the initiatives were plagued by delays, cost escalations, and suspected misappropriation of funds. None of the sanctioned hospitals met their deadlines, and several hundred crores in additional expenses remain unaccounted for.
One flagship initiative, the ₹1,125 crore ICU Hospital Project—intended to add 6,800 beds across seven pre-engineered facilities—is reportedly only halfway completed despite substantial spending.
