Rajasthan places IPS officer Prashakha Mathur on awaiting posting orders
The move follows a government order for an Anti-Corruption Bureau probe into her husband, IAS officer Shikhar Agrawal.
The Rajasthan government on Saturday placed senior IPS officer Prashakha Mathur on Awaiting Posting Orders (APO), according to the Free Press Journal. Mathur, who served as Additional Director General of Police for Planning, Modernization, and Welfare, was moved following an order for an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigation into her husband, former Additional Chief Secretary Shikhar Agrawal.
The state government has authorised a detailed probe under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018. The ACB has started a preliminary enquiry regarding claims that Agrawal misused his official role to provide unfair advantages to a private firm and created conflicts of interest.
The investigation concerns the purchase of villas from Goyal Fashions Private Limited, which operates under the 'Ananta' brand. ACB Director General Govind Gupta stated the enquiry was initiated based on confidential information and media reports.
Preliminary findings suggest Agrawal and Mathur purchased 10 villas each at the Bujhda resort in Udaipur for Rs 15 lakh each. At the Ananta resort in Alwar, they allegedly bought eight villas each for Rs 16.5 lakh each. Additional villas were reportedly registered in the names of their two sons and in-laws.
The ACB is examining whether Agrawal acted with the company's directors to secure construction relaxations and special financial packages. The agency is also looking into whether these transactions resulted in financial losses to the state or if the assets are disproportionate to his known income.