Rajasthan: Court grants 3-day remand to 9 accused in Jal Jeevan Mission case

Jaipur, Feb 18 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a major development in the alleged Rs 900 crore Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scam, nine officers arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) were on Wednesday produced before a special ACB court in Jaipur.

The court remanded all nine accused to three days of police custody for further interrogation. The ACB had sought a five-day remand while presenting the officers before the Special Court under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court granted a three-day remand and directed investigators to continue their probe into the alleged financial irregularities.

The accused officers were brought to court in a single vehicle by the ACB team. Officials were seen carrying case-related documents as they entered the court premises.

Meanwhile, the ACB has issued a lookout notice against retired IAS officer Subodh Agarwal, citing apprehensions that he may attempt to leave the country. Officials said the notice has been issued as a precautionary measure in connection with the ongoing investigation.

The nine officers produced before the court include Dinesh Goyal, currently serving as Chief Engineer (Administration); K.D. Gupta, Chief Engineer (Rural); Shubhanshu Dixit, then Secretary of RWSSMCH and presently Additional Chief Engineer, Jaipur Region-II; Sushil Sharma, currently Financial Advisor (Akshay Urja); Niril Kumar, Chief Engineer, Churu; and Vishal Saxena, Executive Engineer, who is currently under suspension.

Those retired include Arun Srivastava, former Additional Chief Engineer; D.K. Gaud, then Chief Engineer and Technical Member; and Mahendra Prakash Soni, then Superintending Engineer.

All nine accused were taken into custody as part of the Bureau’s ongoing probe into alleged financial and administrative irregularities in works executed under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Earlier, on February 17, the ACB conducted searches at 15 locations across Jaipur, Udaipur, Jalore, Barmer and Sikar, as well as in Bihar, Jharkhand and Delhi. The arrests followed searches linked to alleged fraudulent billing, financial misappropriation and irregularities in the implementation of projects under the scheme.

Sources said the probe is examining the roles of contractors, senior officials and other stakeholders connected to the alleged scam. Further action will depend on findings during the remand period as the investigation continues.

Source: IANS