Jaipur: The Rajasthan government on Saturday placed senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Prashakha Mathur on awaiting posting orders (APO), removing her from her post as Additional Director General of Police (Planning, Modernisation and Welfare) amid the widening controversy over the alleged purchase of 40 villas and cottages by her family from a single private company. The Department of Personnel order placed the 1995-batch officer on APO until further orders, citing administrative reasons, according to reports.
Source: Rajsuya
The action is the second against the couple in days and follows the earlier development in the same case: Mathur's husband, 1993-batch IAS officer Shikhar Agrawal, who was serving as Additional Chief Secretary (Industries), was placed on APO late on Wednesday night after a media investigation reported the property purchases. On Friday, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a preliminary enquiry against Agrawal, and ACB Director General Govind Gupta said the preliminary probe had found prima facie evidence suggesting Agrawal allegedly misused his official position to extend undue benefits to a private company. The state government has also approved a detailed ACB investigation against Agrawal under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Source: Nation Press
According to the ACB, Agrawal, his wife and other family members bought 40 villas and cottages from a company that operates hotels and resorts in Udaipur and Alwar districts, allegedly at prices well below market value. The bureau alleges that Agrawal helped the company by securing relaxations in resort-construction conditions, approvals without proper verification of certificates, and a special concessional financial package. It is also examining the allegation that 20 villas were registered in Agrawal's name on March 27 — the same day the state Finance Department issued the order granting the company its special financial package.
Source: Rajsuya
As reported in the investigation details, the couple allegedly bought 10 villas each at the Bujhda resort in Udaipur at about Rs 15 lakh per villa, while eight villas at the Ajabgarh resort in Alwar were acquired in the couple's names at about Rs 16.5 lakh each. Four more were registered in the names of their two sons and four in the names of Agrawal's parents-in-law. The family's purchases from Goyal Fashions Private Limited, which runs resorts under the Ananta brand, were reported to total about Rs 6.16 crore, with the properties leased back to the same company for about Rs 1.80 crore a year.
Source: Nation Press
Some of the villas are registered in Mathur's own name. While some properties were reportedly mentioned in her annual property return, the Alwar purchase is stated to be missing from her Immovable Property Return (IPR), which is expected to draw separate scrutiny. The ACB is expected to question Mathur as the scope of the investigation widens, according to reports.
Source: Bhilwara Halchal
Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot has demanded that the property transactions be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Agrawal has earlier said, in response to the initial reports, that the purchases were disclosed in his property returns and tax filings, and attributed the apparent discrepancy in his wife's asset declaration to an attachment. The allegations against both officers remain under investigation and have not been established by any court.
Source: Inshorts via Hindustan Times
Mathur, an MBBS graduate before she joined the services, has previously served as Superintendent of Police in Jodhpur Rural, Banswara and Pali, and was on central deputation with the Intelligence Bureau between 2009 and 2014, where she held the posts of Additional Deputy Director and Deputy Director.