ED searches in Raj over Ashok Gehlot regime ‘graft’

NEW DELHI:A day after raids on the premises of former Rajasthan public health department minister Mahesh Joshi and senior bureaucrats related to his department, Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday said that bribes were paid to officials to secure tenders.
“Investigation revealed that the contractors secured tenders pertaining to Jal Jeevan Mission works based on fake certificates using the name of Indian Railway Construction International Ltd (IRCON) and by bribing PHED officials,” ED said.
It further said that “several middlemen and property dealers have aided PHED officials in siphoning off the ille gally earned money from the Jal Jeevan scam”. ED is probing the properties purchased by some of the accused using the ‘proceeds of crime’.
In its crackdown on ministers, middlemen and bureaucrats involved in corruption during the previous Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan, ED on Tuesday had carried out searches at eight premises in Jaipur and Banswara districts.
The searches were conducted on the residence of Mahesh Joshi in addition to premises of PHED officials and some middleman and property dealers. The agency said it has seized Rs 39 lakh of unaccounted cash along with various property details, digital evidence and mobile phones during the searches.