The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) seized unaccounted cash worth ₹39 lakh along with various incriminating documents including property details, digital evidences, mobiles etc from the search operation conducted at properties linked with former PHED minister Mahesh Joshi, senior PHED officials and private people on Tuesday.
The ED so far has seized ₹11.42 crore, including gold/silver worth ₹6.50 crore in this case.
ED, on Tuesday, had conducted follow up search operations at eight locations in Jaipur and Banswara, at the residential premises of Mahesh Joshi, former minister PHED, officials of PHED in addition to private individuals in the Jal Jeevan Mission scam.
The ED had initiated investigation on the basis of the FIR lodged by anti corruption bureau (ACB) in which a couple of contractors were found involved in bribing engineers “in order to obtain tenders, getting bills sanctioned and cover up irregularities in respect of work executed by them. It was also alleged that suspects were involved in the purchase of stolen goods from Haryana for using the same in their tenders/contracts and had also submitted fake work completion letters from IRCON — a government company — to get PHED contracts.
The ED, in November last year, had conducted raid on properties linked to then additional chief secretary (ACS) Subodh Agarwal and some other PHED officials. They had searched the office of then minister Mahesh Joshi. But the central agency had not conducted search operation at properties of Mahesh Joshi.
The scam in Jal Jeevan Mission came into limelight when senior BJP leader Kirodi Lal Meena, who has now become agriculture minister in Rajasthan government, staged dharna protesting against the alleged scam. He alleged the officials and minister have committed a scam worth ₹20,000 crore.
The ED so far has conducted raids on three occasions covering ministers, senior IAS, engineers of chief engineer level, contractors and private individuals. It has so far not made any arrest in the case.
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