The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids in poll-bound Rajasthan, including the premises of a senior IAS officer, as part of its money laundering case investigation into the Jal Jeevan Mission fraud.
The ED conducted its raid in almost 25 locations across Rajasthan, which included a raid on the IAS officer Subodh Agarwal from the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department.
A few more people linked with the case were also investigated under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The investigating agency had held up similar raids in this money laundering case in September.
The money laundering case originates from a Rajasthan anti-corruption bureau (ACB).
The FIR against the alleged Mahesh Mittal, proprietor of Shree Ganpati Tubewell Company, Padamchand Jain, proprietor of Shree Shyam Tubewell Company, said that they were involved in "giving bribes" to public servants to obtain tenders, illegal protection, getting illegitimate bills sanctioned and covering up irregularities in respect of work done by them by different tenders received by them from the PHED.
The suspects were also charged with buying stolen goods from Haryana for use in their agreements and giving fake work completion letters to obtain Public Health Engineering Department. contracts.
As per the statements of the ED, "The suspects were also actively purchasing goods that were stolen from Haryana for using the same in their tenders/contracts and had also brought up fake work completion letters from IRCON to get PHED contracts,".
The Jal Jeevan mission undertaken by the Centre drives to deliver safe and clean drinking water through household tap connections.
The strategy was being executed by the state Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) in Rajasthan.
Rajasthan will vote for its 200 assembly election members on November 25 and the result counting of votes will be held on December 3.
With Rajasthan, there are four more states namely Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and Telangana.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has alleged that the central administration is working on the directions of the BJP-led administration at the Centre to target the Opposition.
