The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Rajasthan on Wednesday arrested five persons in connection with alleged large-scale irregularities in the implementation of water supply projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). The arrests come within 10 days of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma approving a detailed investigation into the scam.
ACB official Govind Gupta identified the arrested individuals as Mahesh Kumar Mittal, proprietor of Ganpati Tubewell; his son Hemant Mittal alias Golu; Umesh Kumar Sharma, manager and liaison officer of Shyam Tubewell; Gopal Kumawat, former accounts officer of the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED); and Piyush Jain, son of Padam Chand Jain, proprietor of Shyam Tubewell.
The arrests stem from a case registered in 2023, in which the ACB found that both Shyam Tubewell and Ganpati Tubewell secured JJM tenders allegedly in collusion with former PHED officials, including Maya Lal Saini, then executive engineer of Behror division; Rakesh Chauhan, assistant engineer of Neemrana sub-division; and Pradeep Kumar, junior engineer of Neemrana sub-division. Several of these individuals had already been apprehended earlier.
Investigators allege that the firms and PHED officials colluded to obtain contracts and committed irregularities by arbitrarily filling measurement books, executing substandard work, and withdrawing crores from government treasury. Recorded telephone conversations provided evidence of collusion, showing how treasury payments were obtained through irregular means and bribes were allegedly paid to departmental officers for personal gains.
Following the CM’s approval, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed under SP Mahaveer Singh Ranawat. Additional SPs Himanshu Kuldeep, Bhupendra, and Mahaveer Prasad Sharma were also part of the team. The SIT conducted a detailed analysis of telephonic transcripts and technical evidence from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).
Earlier, the ACB conducted surprise inspections and filed a chargesheet in court. On Wednesday, using technical inputs, the SIT traced and arrested the accused from different parts of Jaipur, while some others remain absconding.
