Probe agency ED searches premises of Rajasthan MLA, state Congress chief
Rajasthan,Octo 26 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday launched searches at 11 locations linked to former state Education Minister of Rajasthan Govind Singh Dotasara and Congress MLA Om Prakash Hudla in connection with a money laundering probe linked to a paper leak case.
Searches were underway in Jaipur, Dausa and Sikar, including the residential premises of both Congress leaders.
The ED action comes a month before Congress-ruled Rajasthan goes to polls. Dotasra is the party candidate from Lacchmangarh seat of Sikar against BJP’s Subhash Maharia. He is also the sitting MLA from this seat. Hudla represents the Mahwa constituency in the state Legislative Assembly.
Elections for the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly will be held on November 25.
Former Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC member) Babulal Katara and another person identified as Anil Kumar Meena were arrested by the ED in this case. It had first raided multiple locations in Rajasthan as part of this investigation in June.
The ED has been conducting money laundering investigations related to the leak of the Grade II teacher competitive examination 2022 question paper in December last year. A total of 55 people, including 37 candidates, were arrested in the paper leak.
The probe agency’s investigation has revealed that at least 180 candidates were given the leaked question papers for amounts ranging from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 10 lakh each.
In addition to Babulal Katara and Anil Kumar Meena, Bhupendra Saran, another accused in the paper leak racket, was also arrested by the ED on charges of money laundering.
Earlier this month, the ED raided the house and office of Congress leader Dinesh Khodaniya, who is an aide of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, in connection with the paper leak case. The probe agency also conducted searches at the premises of Ashok Jain, a Congress leader, and Spardha Choudhary, who is now associated with Hanuman Beniwal-led Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP).
The raids happened at nine places in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Dungarpur.
-PTI
