In a sprawling interstate dragnet, police are closing in on absconding ex-IAS officer Subodh Agarwal, central figure in the alleged Jal Jeevan Mission fraud rocking Rajasthan. The aggressive pursuit, kicked off on February 17, marked its 16th day on March 4, mobilizing 40 dedicated teams packed with top brass from Additional SPs to Inspectors.
Oversight from DIGs and SPs ensures seamless coordination across states, with more than 100 raids executed in 21 cities including Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Nagaur, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Faridabad, Noida, Meerut, Prayagraj, and Mumbai. High-profile spots like Jaipur’s elite schemes, Delhi’s posh colonies, and Mumbai’s celebrity enclaves have been combed thoroughly.
Teams have raided homes, kin’s assets, farmhouses, apartments, and shady motels, grilling nearly 50 contacts from family to chauffeurs. Four alleged accomplices are detained amid tech-driven sleuthing—CCTV and digital evidence from key urban hubs are under the microscope to trace the escapee’s path.
Unraveled in June 2023 after Minister Kirodi Lal Meena’s revelations, the scam implicates 20-odd officials and engineers in siphoning funds from the vital rural drinking water initiative. ACB, ED, and CBI’s collaborative raids in Delhi, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand nabbed 10 suspects, fueling momentum.
This relentless chase highlights the stakes in India’s anti-graft war. With Agarwal still at large, the net tightens, promising accountability for one of Rajasthan’s biggest public fund heists and restoring faith in government schemes.