Lookout Notice Issued Against Former IAS Officer in ₹900 Crore Jal Jeevan Mission Scam

Jaipur: In a major development in the alleged ₹900 crore Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scam, investigating agencies have tightened the noose around former IAS officer Subodh Agrawal. A Lookout Notice has been issued against him amid fears that he may attempt to flee abroad.

According to official sources, Agrawal’s name surfaced during the ongoing investigation into large-scale financial irregularities and fraudulent billing linked to the Jal Jeevan Mission projects. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is reportedly intensifying its probe, as the case is believed to involve a wide network of officials and contractors.

ACB Conducted Search, Former IAS Officer Missing

On February 17, the ACB conducted a search operation at Subodh Agrawal’s residence. However, officials were unable to locate him during the raid. Following this, agencies expressed concern that the former IAS officer might evade investigation by leaving the country, prompting the issuance of a lookout notice.

Nine Water Supply Department Officials Arrested

In connection with the scam, the ACB arrested nine officials of the Public Health Engineering Department on February 17. The accused officials were produced before the ACB court on Thursday.

The court granted three days of remand for all the arrested officials. The ACB had sought five days of custody, but the court approved a limited remand period.

Investigators are expected to question the accused regarding project documents, financial transactions, fake billing records, and the possible involvement of other individuals linked to the scam.

Officials Under Remand

The arrested officers include senior engineers and financial officials, such as:

• K.D. Gupta (Chief Engineer, Jaipur City)
• Dinesh Goyal (Former Chief Engineer)
• D.K. Goud (Retired Technical Chief Engineer)
• Niril Kumar (Former Superintending Engineer)
• Sushil Sharma (Financial Advisor, JJM)
• Shubhanshu Dixit (Additional Chief Engineer)
• Arun Srivastava (Retired Additional Chief Engineer)
• Mahendra Prakash Soni (Retired Superintending Engineer)
• Vishal Saxena (Suspended Executive Engineer)

The accused were brought to court in a single vehicle under tight security arrangements.

Raids Conducted at 15 Locations Across India

The ACB also carried out extensive raids at 15 locations across Rajasthan and other states. The raids were conducted in districts including Barmer, Jalore, and Sikar, and extended to Bihar, Jharkhand, and Delhi.

Officials stated that the investigation focuses on allegations of fake billing, forged documents, inflated project costs, and serious financial irregularities under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Investigation Likely to Expand

The ACB has indicated that further revelations are expected during the remand period, and more individuals may come under the scanner as evidence is examined.

The Jal Jeevan Mission, a flagship scheme aimed at providing clean drinking water to rural households, is now facing major scrutiny in Rajasthan following the emergence of this high-profile corruption case.