Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's brother Agrasen Gehlot has been again called for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday in the fertilizer scam. On Monday, Agrasen Gehlot was questioned in the ED's Delhi office for about 5 hours in the fertilizer scam. Even today, there will be questions and answers from Agrasen Gehlot on exporting fertilizers with subsidized rates for farmers at expensive prices. In July last year, the ED had registered a case against Agrasen Gehlot in the fertilizer scam. ED teams raided Agrasen Gehlot's farmhouse and firms in Jodhpur. In the raid, the ED had seized documents related to fertilizer export.
The ED raids on the residences of the CM's brother Agrasen took place last year when Congress MLAs were under fencing during the revolt of the Sachin Pilot camp. At that time the Congress had made allegations of vendetta action.
The Jodhpur Bench of the Rajasthan High Court had recently stayed the arrest of Agrasen Gehlot. The High Court, while relieving Gehlot from arrest, had asked him to cooperate in the ED's investigation. The ED cannot arrest Agrasen Gehlot in the fertilizer scam till the High Court's stay continues.
Agrasen Gehlot is accused of exporting banned subsidized fertilizer to many countries including Malaysia. It is illegal to export fertilizers given to farmers on subsidy. The company owned by him had exported a large consignment of subsidized fertilizer. He was an authorized dealer of Indian Potash Limited (IPL). According to the lawsuit filed in the ED, Gehlot's company bought subsidized fertilizer between 2007 and 2009 and instead of giving it to farmers, exported it at exorbitant prices. The ED is probing the same matter.
