The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted a significant operation on Thursday, arriving at the office of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) at Jal Bhavan in Jaipur. The team's mission was to scrutinize a comprehensive set of documents related to the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), a flagship national scheme, as part of its expanding probe into alleged corruption.
Arrests Precede Document Scrutiny
This move came directly on the heels of a major breakthrough on Wednesday, when the ACB arrested five individuals connected to the alleged bribery and corruption racket within JJM projects. The arrested accused were presented before a court on Thursday. They are:
- Mahesh Kumar Mittal, proprietor of Ganpati Tubewell.
- Hemant Mittal, his son.
- Umesh Kumar Sharma, manager and liaison officer of Shyam Tubewell.
- Gopal Kumawat, the then accounts officer of PHED.
- Piyush Jain, son of Padam Chand Jain, proprietor of Shyam Tubewell.
The ACB sought three days of police remand for the accused; however, the court granted only one day. This development has intensified the investigation into the high-profile case.
Focus on Tender Allocation and Violations
According to officials speaking on condition of anonymity, the SIT's visit to the PHED office was aimed at examining and collecting records critical to the investigation. The documents being pored over include those related to tenders, approvals, sanction notes, payment releases, and other records linked to the execution of JJM works.
An official revealed to TOI that the probe is sharply focused on understanding how tenders were allocated to Ganpati Tubewell and Shyam Tubewell. Investigators are looking into the grounds on which these firms were allegedly favored and whether established norms and procedures were violated during the entire process.
Senior Officials Under Scanner, Probe Expands
The case has widened to potentially include senior bureaucrats. The state government had already granted approval on December 9 for a probe against six officers, including a former Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the PHED. Sources indicate that the agency has not ruled out issuing notices to former senior officials once the SIT completes its initial groundwork and thoroughly scrutinizes all relevant documents. A senior PHED official may be questioned soon by the SIT team.
The Jal Jeevan Mission case is now under intense scrutiny over serious allegations of corruption in contracts. Investigators are operating on suspicions of forged documents, inflated bills, and collusive practices between contractors and government officials, which may have led to significant financial losses and undermined the objectives of the vital water supply scheme.
