Even as Anti Corruption Bureau continues to look out for ‘untraceable' for former IAS Subodh Agarwal in the alleged Rs 900 crore Jal Jeevan Mission scam case in Rajasthan, Agarwal has moved High Court seeking quashing of FIR filed against him in the case.
The High Court is likely to hear the matter next week.
Agarwal blames Sudhansh Pant
At the same time, Agarwal has levelled allegations against another IAS officer Sudhansh Pant, who is currently serving as Secretary in central government. A couple of months ago Pant was the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan and had been predecessor to Agrawal in PHED from January 2021 to April 2022, during that period Agarwal claims in the petition that 95% of the work orders were approved.
Agarwal claimed that his tenure started from April 2022 and the two firms in the question – Ganpati Tubewell and Shyam Tubewell had obtained tenders with fake IRCON certificates – during Pant's term.
95% of work orders approved by Pant, alleges Agarwal
Agarwal alleged that 95% of the work orders were approved by the finance committee headed by the then ACS Sudhansh Pant while during his tenure, only tenders of less than 10% value were approved. Despite that the ACB did not investigate Sudhansh Pant's tenure.
Advocate Deepak Chauhan, representing Subodh Agarwal said that the finance committee headed by petitioner Subodh Agarwal did not make any payment on these tenders, so the government did not suffer any loss.
Agarwal blacklisted the companies
“As soon as Agarwal came to know about the forgery, he formed a high-level committee. On the committee's report, the tenders of both the firms were cancelled and the two companies were blacklisted,” Chauhan said.
Chauhan said that the ACB is acting on the statement of suspended Executive Engineer Vishal Saxena, who was reprimanded by Agarwal, who had filed FIR against Saxena. The suspended engineer is vindictive of Agarwal and levelling false allegations.
In last 72 hours, ACB has arrested 10 people in the JJM case, raided premises of former IAS Subodh Agarwal, who is still untraceable. The ACB has sought look out notice against Agarwal, who is suspected to flee from the country.
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