Rajasthan ACB Nabs Ex-IAS Subodh Agarwal
New Delhi: In a major crackdown on the alleged Jal Jeevan Mission scam in Rajasthan, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested former IAS officer Subodh Agarwal. He was taken into custody from New Delhi around 11:30 am on Thursday. Agarwal, who has been absconding for a long time, will now be brought to Jaipur where he will be interrogated in detail.
The investigation revealed that private companies obtained tenders under the Jal Jeevan Mission by using fake completion certificates and documents issued in the name of IRCON (Indian Railway Construction International Limited). When these certificates were verified, IRCON's Bengaluru office declared them fraudulent. It is alleged that tenders worth approximately ₹960 crore were obtained through this method.
According to ACB Director General Govind Gupta, Subodh Agarwal, then Additional Chief Secretary, and other officials added the requirement of a site visit certificate to tenders for large projects (over ₹50 crore), which was against the rules. This exposed the identities of the bidders and affected the tender process. This has also led to reports of premiums increasing by 30 to 40 percent.
Ten accused have already been arrested in this case. Subodh Agarwal's arrest is considered a crucial link in the ongoing investigation under case number 245/2024. Investigating agencies are now working to unravel the entire network.
The ACB Special Court has issued standing warrants against Sanjeev Gupta, Mukesh Sharma, and other accused. Preparations are also underway to confiscate their properties. Officials believe this is a well-planned scam, in which many people may be involved.
According to sources, Subodh Agarwal's lawyer had previously sent an email to the ACB stating that he would personally participate in the investigation, but he was taken into custody before that could happen. Now, during the interrogation in Jaipur, many more major revelations are likely to be made in this case.
