JAIPUR: A special court dealing with anti-corruption cases in Rajasthan’s Jaipur region has formally charged five individuals, including Urban Development and Housing (UDH) Minister Jhabar Singh Kharra and former development officer Ummed Singh Rao, with corruption amounting to Rs 14 lakh rupees and fraud in an 18-year-old case involving the procurement of pipes within the Public Health Engineering Department.
Kharra held the position of the head of Shrimadhopur Panchayat Samiti at the time of the alleged offences. According to Judge Brijesh Kumar of the ACB Court, Jhabar Singh Kharra, along with co-accused Krishna Kumar Gupta and Nehru Lal, allegedly convened a meeting of the Panchayat Committee to propose the supply of drinking water, purportedly as part of a criminal conspiracy.
Subsequently, they are accused of colluding with tender participant Bhairuram to manipulate the tender process, despite Bhairuram’s purported lack of authorisation as a PVC pipe contractor and experience in such work.
The court’s order highlighted that the Panchayat Samiti paid Rs 27,38,477 to Bhairuram for the purchase of pipes, while investigations indicate that he procured the pipes for Rs 13,24,339. This apparent discrepancy purportedly resulted in a loss of Rs 14,14,078 to the exchequer, constituting a violation of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120 of the Indian Penal Code.
Additionally, the court noted the use of fake documents in the tender process, constituting fraud. An aspect of surprise emerged as it was revealed that M/s Badhala Construction Company, the entity to which the tender was awarded, was not registered with the water supply department.
Furthermore, the committee involved in the pipeline procurement failed to specify the quantity of pipes to be purchased, with no record of the quantity at the departmental level. The investigation conducted by the ACB revealed violations of tender rules, including the filling of three tender forms by the same entity. Moreover, the rates fixed by participating companies in the tender process were allegedly not documented in government records.
After the formation of the Bhajanlal government in December 2023, Kharra had been tipped as cabinet minister of the high profile UDH department. With charges now framed, the trial proceedings against Minister Kharra and the other accused individuals are set to commence.
The court will oversee the trial, where arguments from both sides will be presented, leading to a final decision upon the trial’s conclusion. However, the accused, including Minister Kharra, retain the right to challenge the lower court’s decision by filing a revision in the High Court. Any stay granted by the High Court on the ACB court’s decision would temporarily halt the proceedings.
The case
Accused proposed the supply of drinking water, as part of a criminal conspiracy
They colluded with tender participant to manipulate the tender process, despite lack of authorisation
Panchayat paid `27,38,477 to the tender participant, of which `13,24,339 was used. It resulted in loss to exchequer - a violation of the
Prevention of Corruption Act