ED raid in Rajasthan: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at more than half a dozen locations across Rajasthan, including the premises linked to former state PHE department minister Mahesh Joshi, as part of its money laundering investigation into the implementation of the Centre's 'Jal Jeevan Mission'.
The searches were carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Notably, Joshi, who was a former minister, was denied a ticket by the Congress to contest from the Hawa Mahal seat in Jaipur during last year's assembly polls in the state.
ED raided premises in Jaipur last year
ED had conducted raids last year in Jaipur and Dausa, targeting residential and official premises of senior Public Health Engineering (PHE) department officials, including IAS officer Subodh Agarwal, who was the then additional chief secretary, along with some private individuals.
The ED claimed that several middlemen and property dealers assisted officials of the state government's PHE department in siphoning off "illegally earned" money from the Jal Jeevan Mission.
The probe found that contractors secured tenders for Jal Jeevan Mission works through purportedly "fake" work completion certificates issued by the Indian Railway Construction International Limited (IRCON) and by allegedly "bribing" senior PHE department officials.
Former Rajasthan chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot had alleged that central agencies were acting on the directions of the BJP-led government at the Centre to target opposition leaders and Congress-led state governments. In the 2023 assembly polls, the BJP wrested Rajasthan from the Congress.
Money laundering case
The money laundering case stems from a Rajasthan anti-corruption bureau FIR which alleged that Padamchand Jain, the proprietor of Shree Shyam Tubewell Company, Mahesh Mittal, the proprietor of Shree Ganpati Tubewell Company, and others were involved in "giving bribes" to public servants to obtain illegal protection, obtain tenders, get bills sanctioned and cover up irregularities in works executed by them under various tenders received by them from the PHE department.
The Jal Jeevan mission launched by the Union government aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through household tap connections and it was being implemented in Rajasthan by the state's PHE department
(With agencies input)
