Jaipur: Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed an FIR against former Behror MLA Baljeet Yadav, aged 46, along with proprietors and office-bearers of four companies, for allegedly embezzling public funds through a fraudulent tendering process. The case pertains to the purchase of sports items for 32 govt schools in Alwar district, funded under the MLA quota, during 2021 and 2022. The FIR, registered on Dec 12, is based on an investigation report submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to ACB last month.
The accused companies include Balaji Complete Solutions Private Limited, represented by Mahendra Singh, Surya Enterprises, owned by Sitaram Gurjar, Rajput Sports Enterprises, represented by Raj Mohan Singh Rathore, and Sharma Sports Enterprises, owned by Naveen Sharma. The companies allegedly colluded to manipulate the tendering process, using forged documents and inflated pricing to siphon off public funds. The ACB also initiated an investigation against several administrative officials who colluded with the accused to facilitate the fraudulent tendering process.
The ED submitted an investigation report on Nov 11, detailing the irregularities. According to the report, the tenders, valued at Rs 3.72 crore, were floated in 2021 and 2022 for the procurement of cricket bats, badminton kits, and other sports equipment for govt schools. The funds were allocated through a recommendation from the MLA quota, and the Alwar zila parishad granted administrative and financial approvals. The Neemrana panchayat samiti acted as the implementing agency.
Serious allegations have surfaced against the accused, including tampering with the tendering process, formation of bogus companies, submission of fake experience certificates, and purchasing sports items at 2.5 times their market value. These actions resulted in a significant financial loss to the state exchequer, with the embezzled funds being misappropriated through administrative and financial approvals granted without adequate transparency. The investigation revealed that the procurement process lacked transparency at multiple stages, particularly in the issuance of purchase orders. The ED initiated a preliminary inquiry into the matter last year, uncovering widespread corruption and irregularities in the tendering process.