JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested former IAS officer Subodh Agarwal from Delhi in connection with the Rs 960 crore Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scam after he had been on the run for weeks.
Agarwal had gone into hiding after an ACB court issued arrest warrants in February against four accused in the case. The agency had since been conducting continuous raids at multiple locations to trace him.
Acting on specific intelligence about his presence in Delhi, an ACB team carried out an operation and apprehended him. However, his lawyer has claimed that Agarwal himself informed the ACB about his appearance.
Earlier, the ACB court had issued an arrest warrant against Agarwal, and officials had intensified efforts to execute it. Sources said the court had also indicated that if the warrant was not carried out, proceedings to attach the accused’s properties could be initiated, adding pressure to the investigation.
ACB Director General Govind Gupta said that since the probe began in 2024, 11 accused have been arrested so far, while three others remain absconding. Agarwal has now been brought to Jaipur, where he will be interrogated further.
In connection with the case, nine officials including the Chief Engineer of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) have already been arrested. Mahesh Joshi, the then PHED Minister in the Gehlot government, was also taken into custody but was later granted bail. Agarwal’s arrest is being seen as a major breakthrough in the case.
The ACB had launched a major crackdown on February 17, conducting raids at 15 locations across Jaipur, Barmer, Jalore, Sikar, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Delhi. Investigations revealed fake bills, financial irregularities, and manipulation in the tender process. A lookout notice had been issued against Agarwal on February 18 after he went absconding.
The probe alleges that firms such as M/s Shri Ganpati Tubewell Company and M/s Shri Shyam Tubewell Company forged completion certificates in the name of IRCON International Ltd. to secure high-value tenders.
According to the ACB, fake certificates worth nearly Rs 960 crore were used, pointing to large-scale corruption and possible siphoning of public funds.