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Rajasthan has issued notices to IAS officer Shikhar Agrawal and IPS officer Prashakha Mathur over property disclosures.
Why Were Show-Cause Notices Issued?
The Rajasthan government has issued show-cause notices to senior IAS officer Shikhar Agrawal and his wife, IPS officer Prashakha Mathur, over alleged discrepancies in their immovable property declarations involving luxury resort villas.
The notices, issued by the Department of Personnel on October 30, require both officers to respond within seven days. The allegations concern the couple and their close family members purchasing 40 resort villas from a single company at prices allegedly below prevailing market rates.
The department has sought clarification on why properties acquired after 2021 were omitted from the officers’ immovable property declarations. According to the notice, the Agrawals had not declared any new immovable properties in their online statements since 2021, despite submitting communications to the state government under the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1986.
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What Is the Anti-Corruption Bureau Investigating?
The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has expanded its preliminary inquiry into the alleged property transactions involving Agrawal and Mathur.
Investigators are examining property registration records and other documents concerning luxury villas purchased at Ananta resorts. The inquiry also covers transactions at the company’s Bujhda resort in Udaipur and Ajabgarh resort in Alwar, where properties were allegedly acquired substantially below market rates. The bureau has issued notices to government departments, district administrations, banks and private entities seeking relevant records.
Among those contacted is Sanjay Goyal, managing director of Goyal Fashions Pvt Ltd, which operates the Ananta chain of hotels and resorts. The ACB is examining whether the property transactions involved irregularities and whether any official decisions benefited the company.
Why Were Incentives to Goyal Fashions Suspended?
The Rajasthan Industries and Commerce Commissionerate suspended investment incentives previously approved for Goyal Fashions Pvt Ltd following intervention by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. The suspension prevents the company from receiving investment incentives or concessions until the ACB completes its inquiry.
Investigators have sought minutes of meetings conducted during Agrawal’s tenure as additional chief secretary in the industries department, along with reports concerning departmental decisions. The bureau has also requested information from the Public Works Department regarding villa and cottage construction at the company’s properties in Udaipur and Alwar.
These inquiries include allegations that construction conditions were relaxed and approvals granted without proper verification of required certificates.
What Action Has Been Taken Against the Officers?
The ACB initiated its preliminary inquiry against Agrawal on October 30 after obtaining necessary state government approvals under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Agrawal, a 1993-batch IAS officer, was placed on Awaiting Posting Orders on October 28.
Similar administrative action was initiated against Mathur, a 1995-batch IPS officer, on October 31.
The government has sought explanations from both officers, while investigators continue examining property records, departmental decisions and transactions linked to the resort company. The allegations remain under inquiry, and the notices provide the officers an opportunity to respond to the discrepancies identified by the department.
