Congress vice-president Hira Jotva, son arrested in Rs 7.3 crore MNREGA scam in Gujarat
AHMEDABAD: In a stunning crackdown, Congress Vice-President Hira Jotva and his son Digvijay Jotva have been arrested in connection with a massive Rs 7.30 crore corruption scam linked to MNREGA scheme works across three talukas of Gujarat's Bharuch district.
The scandal, which triggered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), came to light after a formal complaint was lodged at the Bharuch A Division Police Station. Acting swiftly, police late last night brought Hira Jotva from Gir Somnath to Bharuch for questioning.
Following hours of intense interrogation, Hira Jotva was arrested alongside Rajesh Taylor, an outsourced employee from the Hansot TDO office. Both are set to be produced in court today and face police remand.
In a fresh blow to the Congress camp, Bharuch SP confirmed later this afternoon that Jotva's son, Digvijay, was also taken into custody, deepening the party's crisis as the scam unravels.
Bharuch SP Mayur Chavda told the media, 'During the investigation into the MNREGA scam, it was revealed that although the proprietors of the accused agencies appear to be someone else on paper, the real beneficiaries are Hira Jotva and his associates. They siphoned off government funds with the help of outsourced personnel in government offices and submitted forged documentation.'
He further added, 'Hira Jotva and his family members, whose accounts received alleged MNREGA work money, were brought in from Gir Somnath for questioning late last night. Following the interrogation, Bharuch police arrested them. We have also arrested technical operator Rajesh Taylor. Upon examining Hira Jotva's bank records, it became evident that his son, Digvijay Jotva, is also involved. He, too, has been detained from Gir Somnath today.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
28 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Kempe Gowda lived as a universal man, was a symbol of unity and progress: D.K. Shivakumar
Calling Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda a symbol of unity and progress, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday said the founder of Bengaluru, though born in a Vokkaliga community, lived as a 'universal man' whose contributions continue to inspire people across communities. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Kempe Gowda Bhavan and during the Kempe Gowda International Awards presentation held to mark the 516th birth anniversary of the city's founder, Mr. Shivakumar said that Kempe Gowda's accomplishments are eternal. Mr. Shivakumar said, 'None of us are born into a caste by choice. Kempegowda belongs to every community. He is the pride of this land and all its people.' Highlighting infrastructure initiatives for the State's capital, the Deputy CM said tenders worth ₹17,000 crore are being prepared for 40 km of tunnel roads, in addition to 118 km of elevated corridors. 'Projects worth ₹1 lakh crore are being planned for the comprehensive development of Bengaluru,' he said. We started Kempe Gowda Jayanti: CM Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was also present, recalled that it was the Congress government in 2017 that officially began celebrating Kempe Gowda Jayanti on June 27 every year. It was also under the party's tenure that the Kempegowda Development Authority was constituted, and Bengaluru airport was named after the iconic city founder, he said. 'Of the 33 Jayantis officially celebrated in Karnataka today, more than half were introduced during Congress rule,' Mr. Siddaramaiah noted. He also said that the government was working on the development of Kempe Gowda's memorial at Kempapura in Magadi. The Chief Minister also congratulated the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Kempegowda International Airport, and Mysore Soaps and Detergents Ltd. for receiving this year's Kempe Gowda International Awards.
Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Puja Banerjee breaks silence on kidnapping and extortion allegations: ‘God is watching'
Days after an FIR was filed against her and husband Kunal Verma, actress Puja Banerjee has broken her silence for the first time. Taking to social media, she expressed heartbreak over the allegations, calling them baseless and false. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Puja wrote, 'Going through the toughest time of our lives. To those who are standing by us — we will be forever grateful. And to those who believe in the lies being spread against us, God bless them too. I believe in God, and you know — GOD IS WATCHING.' Earlier this month, Bengali film producer Shyam Sunder Dey accused Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma of kidnapping him in Goa and extorting Rs 23 lakh. According to Dey, Puja was like a sister to him, which made the alleged threats for money even more shocking. He further claimed that Kunal, along with a group of men, physically assaulted him in Puja's presence and confiscated his phone. A separate phone was allegedly kept with him solely for the purpose of transferring the extorted amount. Dey said he was rescued on June 4, after his wife Malabika Dey alerted the police. He had managed to use the spare phone to send his live location and a video he secretly recorded in a bathroom to help authorities trace him. Following the complaint, an FIR was filed against Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — the new criminal code replacing the IPC. The couple has been charged under provisions related to abduction, extortion, criminal intimidation, and wrongful confinement. ALSO READ | Kannappa box office collection day 1 early report: Vishnu Manchu's dream project scores career-high opening Interestingly, these accusations surfaced just days after Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma revealed that they had lost all their savings due to a financial fraud involving a close friend. While the couple did not name anyone at the time, speculation around the connection between the two events quickly grew. Soon after, Shyam Sunder Dey's wife Malabika Dey took to Facebook, publicly sharing disturbing details of what she described as a 'betrayal and a breach of trust' by close friends. Her post read: 'This incident is not just a serious crime; it is a betrayal and a breach of trust toward a friend. In addition to the physical and mental abuse on Shyam, our entire family is suffering immense emotional trauma. We are following legal recourse and have complete faith in the judicial system. I urge all members of the creative community to remain vigilant.' She further alleged that Shyam was threatened with being falsely implicated in a drug case if he failed to pay an additional Rs 64 lakh.
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Congress leaders back Tejashwi as CM face
Patna: Congress working committee (CWC) member and the party's former state president, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, said on Friday that if the Grand Alliance gets a majority in the upcoming assembly polls, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav would be the chief minister. "If not Tejashwi, then who else will become the CM?" Singh said while responding to media queries while coming out of the official residence of the RJD president Lalu Prasad in the state capital here. Leader of opposition Tejashwi lives at the same residence with his parents Lalu and former CM Rabri Devi. Singh met Lalu and Tejashwi. Akhilesh and Lalu had a long conversation on the poll-related issues. While coming out of Lalu's residence, Singh told reporters that Tejashwi would be the chief minister, if the Grand Alliance is voted to power. Another Congress leader and former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar too said that there was no confusion or dispute over Tejashwi being the opposition's face for the CM's post in Bihar. Kanhaiya, who hails from Begusarai, also said that the CM would be from the RJD if the Grand Alliance gets a majority in the upcoming assembly polls. Talking to reporters, Kanhaiya said, the waves of change are stronger than in the last assembly polls in Bihar and the BJP is not raking up 'Operation Sindoor' as a poll plank because it knows that the people of the state will respond negatively to it as they believe it to be a matter of the country's honour and no party should politicise it. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo He also said, "It is true that the RJD is the bigger party, has more MLAs, it provides leadership to the 'Mahagathbandhan', they have the post of leader of the opposition. Naturally, it is their responsibility. There is no confusion over Tejashwi being the opposition's CM face." Addressing a function here, Tejashwi said he never got a chance of serving people for an uninterrupted period of five years. He urged the people to provide him a term of full five years to lead the state and serve its people in a better way.
