Fresh Arrest in Rajasthan Jal Jeevan Scam
Enforcement Directorate Makes Fresh Arrest in Rajasthan’s Jal Jeevan Mission Probe
Padamchand Jain, owner of Shree Shyam Tubewell Company, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with its money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in Rajasthan’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme.
This is the second arrest made by the ED in this case. Earlier this year, Piyush Jain was taken into custody.
The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide safe drinking water through household taps. The ED probe stems from an FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) which accused Padamchand Jain, Mahesh Mittal (owner of Shree Ganpati Tubewell Company), Piyush Jain and others of bribing government officials to win tenders, get bills approved and cover up irregularities in JJM projects.
The ED alleges the suspects also purchased stolen goods from Haryana for their projects and submitted fake work completion certificates to secure contracts. The agency claims middlemen and property dealers helped siphon off money from the Jal Jeevan Mission.
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Padamchand Jain and Mahesh Mittal are accused of securing tenders through bribes and fake work completion certificates. Piyush Jain is alleged to have managed the affairs of these companies and received a portion of the illegal earnings.
The ED has conducted searches in Jaipur and Dausa, including the residences and offices of senior Public Health Engineering (PHE) department officials, former Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi, and IAS officer Subodh Agarwal.