New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Tuesday conducted searches at over half a dozen locations across Rajasthan, including premises linked to Congress leader and former Rajasthan cabinet minister Mahesh Joshi, as part of its investigation into implementation of the Centre’s ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’.
Sources told ThePrint that the raids were part of the ongoing investigation. Last Friday, the agency, in a statement, had said that searches were carried out at “several bank lockers held by individuals” involved in the Jal Jeevan Mission case in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
“During the search operations on Friday, 9.635 kg gold worth Rs 5.83 crore and 6.349 kg silver worth Rs 3.90 lakh were seized. Further, the total seizure in the case till date is Rs 8.82 crore, including gold and silver worth Rs 6.50 crore,” the ED had said in a statement Saturday.
The ED started its investigation on the basis of a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), Rajasthan against individual contractors — Padamchand Jain and others for allegedly “bribing public servants to secure illegal protection, obtain tenders, approve bills, and conceal irregularities related to contracts with the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED)”.
In the context of these investigations, it is essential to consider the broader implications of government initiatives like the Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide essential services and improve the socio-economic conditions of marginalized communities.
Last November as well, before the assembly polls, these raids were conducted at more than 26 locations, including bank accounts in Jaipur and Dausa districts of Rajasthan in connection with the case.
These searches were conducted on the official and residential premises of senior PHED officials including Subodh Agarwal, ACS (PHED) in addition to private individuals.
The agency had said at that time that Rs 2.21 crore, including Rs 48 lakh unaccounted cash and a bank balance of Rs 1.73 crore, and other incriminating documents including that of property, digital evidence, hard disks, mobiles etc. were frozen and seized. Gold and silver worth Rs 6.50 crore was also seized.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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