Jaipur: Two ministers of previous Congress government in Rajasthan will have to face legal action in different cases. The Anti — Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered an FIR against 22 people including the former minister Mahesh Joshi in the alleged scam of Jal Jeevan Mission while the Supreme Court has set aside the Rajasthan High Court’s previous orders that had quashed criminal proceedings against former minister Shanti Dhariwal and senior officials of the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) in the high-profile “Ekal Patta” case.
The alleged Jal Jeevan Mission scam was a major election issue during the assembly polls of Rajasthan as the ACB had arrested a contractor and some officials taking bribe for clearing the bills of Jal Jeevan Mission. The Enforcement Directorate had also conducted searches in the case during the Congress regime in the state.
In the new development, the investigating agency ACB has got a big lead through some email IDs. The officials said that on checking each ID, the names of all the officers were revealed who were involved in giving tenders on fake certificates.
The Director General of Dr. Ravi Prakash Mehrada said that based on the report of ACB Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vishnaram, a case has been registered against 20 people and two firms in connection with the irregularities in Jal Jeevan Mission. The investigation of the has been handed over to ASP Pushpendra Singh of the Special Branch of ACB.
While in a case related to allotment of lease, the former minister Shanti Dhariwal is likely to face legal action. The Supreme Court bench of Justice Surya Kant and Ujjwal Bhuyan, set aside the Rajasthan High Court’s previous orders that had quashed criminal proceedings against former minister Shanti Dhariwal and senior officials of the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA). The case, which centers around alleged corruption and procedural irregularities in granting a single lease (Patta) for valuable land, had drawn significant attention.
Additional Advocate General Shiv Mangal Sharma who represented the state government said that the Supreme Court not only nullified the High Court’s earlier decisions but also directed the Rajasthan High Court to re-evaluate the case comprehensively.
The Supreme Court further requested the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court to ensure a fresh review of all facts, evidence, and claims involved in the matter, reinforcing the need for transparency and accountability.
Both Mahesh Joshi and Shati Dhariwal are senior leaders of Congress and are known to be close to former CM Ashok Gehlot. Dhariwal is also a Congress MLA.
