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Time of India
9 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Material supplier arrested in second NREGA scam case
Vadodara: The proprietor of a firm which purportedly supplied material for scam-affected NREGA works at Lavariya village in Devgadhbaria taluka of Dahod was arrested on Thursday, as soon as he was released on bail in the first case, which pertained to irregularities worth Rs 71 crore. Parth Baria, the proprietor of NJ Enterprise, was first arrested for the Rs 71 crore case, in which the sons of Gujarat minister for agriculture and panchayats, Bachu Khabad, were also accused. He was in judicial custody and applied for bail in a magisterial court. Baria was granted bail in the Rs 71 crore case on Thursday but was arrested soon after he came out of jail, for the case relating to irregularities worth Rs 18.4 lakh at Lavariya. Earlier, Khabad's younger son, Kiran, was also arrested in the Lavariya case as soon as he stepped out of prison. Kiran is currently in judicial custody along with his elder brother, Balwant. The older sibling was also granted bail in the Rs 71 crore offence but was subsequently accused in a case relating to NREGA works at Bhanpur village in Dhanpur taluka a couple of days after his release and was re-arrested.
News18
20-05-2025
- Business
- News18
Gujarat Minister's Son, Nephew Arrested In Rs 71 Crore MGNREGA Scam Case
Last Updated: As per the FIR, DRDA officials found during field visits that contractors were paid for roads that were never built but falsely shown as completed to claim the payments In a shocking development in Vadodara, Gujarat police have arrested Kiran Khabad, the younger son of Bachubhai Khabad, the state's Minister of State for Panchayat and Agriculture, for alleged involvement in a Rs 71 crore MGNREGA scam. The scam involved contracted agencies receiving government payments despite failing to complete their work or supply goods, according to police sources. Kiran, along with three others—including the minister's nephew, Dilip Chauhan—has been detained. On Saturday, Kiran's elder brother, Balwant Khabad, was also arrested in connection with the case. Additionally, police apprehended Darshan Patel, the former Taluka Development Officer (TDO) of Dahod district, bringing the total number of arrests to seven. The fraudulent activities involved the use of fake supply companies. A PTI report reveals that between 2021 and 2024, owners of 35 agencies, in collusion with government officials, allegedly misappropriated Rs 71 crore by submitting fake work completion certificates and other forged documents to secure payments under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. Police investigations show that Kiran Khabad is linked to a supply firm named 'Shri Raj Traders', which received Rs 30.04 crore for MGNREGA projects without undergoing any tender process. Simultaneously, Balwant Khabad is associated with 'Shri Raj Construction Company', which secured Rs 82 lakh. Together, the two brothers accounted for approximately 40 percent of the total scam amount. These firms frequently claimed to supply materials that never actually reached the intended sites. Other individuals arrested include Parth Baria, owner of 'NJ Enterprise', and Rasik Rathwa, Deputy District Development Officer of Dahod. 'NJ Enterprise' was paid Rs 5.19 crore without any contract, making it a significant player in the scam. Last month, the police registered an FIR for cheating, forgery, and breach of trust against unidentified individuals, including government employees, following the District Rural Development Agency's (DRDA) discovery of the Rs 71 crore scam. According to the FIR, DRDA officials, during field inspections, found that payments were made to contractors for roads that were never constructed but were falsely reported as completed to claim payments. The work involved constructing roads, check walls, and stone bunds in two talukas of Dahod between January 2021 and December 2024. Police further stated that payments were made to agencies that were either ineligible to supply materials or had not participated in the tender process. The DRDA's in-depth investigation uncovered 32 fake firms involved in supplying MGNREGA materials without following the bidding procedure. These fraudulent activities were concentrated in Devgarh Baria and Dhanpur talukas, with many instances of roads being built only on paper. Dilip Chauhan, the Assistant Programme Officer (APO) of MGNREGA in Devgarh Baria, is considered the chief conspirator in the scam. Rasik Rathwa, the development officer of Dhanpur taluka at the time, reportedly collaborated in executing supply contracts for the Khabad brothers' fake companies and facilitated payments by circumventing regulations. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published:
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MNREGA scam: 2ndson of minister held
1 2 Vadodara: The younger son of Gujarat's minister of state for agriculture and panchayat, Bachu Khabad, was arrested on Monday in connection with the Rs 71 crore MNREGA scam in Dahod district . Kiran Khabad , aged 39, was arrested along with three other accused, including Khabad's nephew, Dilip Chauhan, bringing the total number of arrests to 11. Earlier, on Saturday, the police arrested Kiran's elder brother, Balwant Khabad, aged 43. Along with Kiran and Chauhan, the police also arrested Parth Baria, the proprietor of N J Enterprise, a firm that supplied material despite not having secured a contract, and Rasik Rathwa, currently the in-charge deputy district development officer (DDO) of Dahod. The offence reveals that N J Enterprise was paid Rs 5.19 crore and is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the scam. Police also detained another accused, Bhavesh Rathod, assistant programme officer (APO) for MNREGA in Dhanpur taluka, from Mangrol near Surat. Both Balwant and Kiran are linked to agencies that supplied material for MNREGA works in two talukas of Dahod district, even though they did not qualify as vendors in a bidding process. In total, 32 firms connected with the irregularity were detected in an investigation by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), which registered an offence regarding the scam. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Balwant was linked to the firm Shri Raj Construction Co, while Kiran was linked to Shri Raj Traders. The offence mentions that Shri Raj Traders was paid an amount of Rs 30.04 crore, while Shri Raj Construction Co was paid an amount of Rs 82 lakh. Effectively, the brothers took over 40 per cent of the total amount of the scam. Dilip Chauhan was an assistant programme officer (APO) for MNREGA in Devgadh Baria and is believed to be a key accused who helped the Khabad brothers in the scam. Rathwa was a taluka development officer (TDO) in Dhanpur at the time of the scam. Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Dahod division, Jagdish Bhandari, said that Baria was presented in court on Monday, which granted a seven-day remand for his interrogation. "Kiran, Chauhan, and Rathwa will be presented in court on Tuesday," he said. Sources said that while labour work is done by villagers under the MNREGA scheme, vendors are identified for various construction materials through a bidding process. The material has to be ordered from the lowest bidder, who later furnishes bills, and payments are cleared. The progress of the work on the ground is also checked before disbursement of payments. The offence registered regarding the scam also reveals that large portions of roads were never laid and remained on paper. DRDA conducted an investigation into the works for the years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 in Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas.
