Rajasthan IAS Officer Shikhar Agarwal Suspended Amid Villa Purchase Controversy
Rajasthans IAS officer Shikhar Agarwal has been suspended following allegations of purchasing 40 villas from a single company.
Jaipur, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : The Rajasthan government has placed senior IAS officer Shikhar Agarwal on Awaiting Posting Order (APO) as of October 29, following serious allegations against him. Reports suggest that over the past two and a half years, Agarwal purchased 40 villas from the same company.
The state’s personnel department announced the decision late Wednesday, citing administrative reasons for the suspension. Being placed on APO means that Agarwal has been removed from his current position but has not yet been assigned a new role.
The controversy centers around a private company’s leasing of 40 villas located in two areas: 20 in Ajabgarh, Alwar district, and 20 in Buzra, Udaipur district. The reported expenditure for these properties was approximately ₹6.16 crore. Subsequently, the same company was granted a lease for these villas. According to officials, the leases were set at ₹4 lakh per cottage in Buzra and ₹5 lakh per villa in Ajabgarh, leading to an annual lease payment of around ₹2 crore.
Agarwal held significant responsibilities within the Rajasthan administration, including the position of Additional Chief Secretary in the Department of Industry, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). He has also served in key roles related to industrial development and investment promotion.
Meanwhile, IPS officer Pankaj Chaudhary has leveled additional allegations against Agarwal. He claims that a large resort project is being developed by a private group in Karjat, near Mumbai, in which Agarwal allegedly holds a 50% stake. This project is said to involve around 400 rooms and billions of rupees in investment.
Chaudhary has also alleged that during Agarwal’s tenure in the Chief Minister’s Office and the Department of Industry, certain companies received lucrative contracts. He has called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding these transactions.
Referencing earlier comments made by Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal regarding Agarwal’s personal life, Chaudhary emphasized the need for a thorough investigation. He suggested that a CBI inquiry could uncover financial transactions exceeding ₹1,000 crore.
