Jaipur, April 15: The troubles for retired IAS officer Subodh Agarwal have escalated in connection with the alleged ₹960 crore Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scam in Rajasthan. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court has ordered him to be placed in judicial custody for 14 days.
The ACB had sought an extension of his police custody, but Agarwal opposed this during the hearing. After considering arguments from both sides, the court rejected the ACB’s request and ordered his transfer to judicial custody.
During the proceedings, Agarwal questioned the claims made by the investigation agency. He asserted that the agency accused him of not answering questions, while he maintained that he had responded to every inquiry. He challenged, “Which question have I not answered?”
The ACB had prepared a lengthy list of nearly 100 questions for Agarwal and conducted extensive interrogations over the past few days. However, Agarwal insisted that he had fully cooperated with the investigation. Meanwhile, he expressed concerns for his safety and filed a petition in court requesting to be placed in a separate cell to ensure his security.
Agarwal also raised questions about the direction of the investigation. He noted that out of 37 cases reviewed by the finance committee during his tenure, only four were from his time, while the remaining 33 pertained to his predecessor, amounting to approximately ₹600 crore. He alleged that the investigation agency was focusing on cases where no money was taken, while overlooking the actual discrepancies.
Reports indicate that Agarwal’s health deteriorated during questioning, but subsequent medical examinations found his condition to be stable. Additionally, the court dismissed another petition in which he sought interim bail to attend his mother-in-law’s thirteenth-day ceremony.
The investigation is ongoing, with the ACB scrutinizing financial decisions made during Agarwal’s tenure as chairman of the finance committee for the water supply department from April 2022 to May 2023.
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