Rs 150 cr transaction by Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot's brother under ED scanner

In a nationwide crackdown, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out multi-city searches in a fertiliser camp on Wednesday. The agency carried out searches at six locations in Rajasthan, four places in Gujarat, two in West Bengal and one in Delhi. Top sources have confirmed to Republic TV that Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's brother Agrasen Gehlot's premises in Jodhpur is being searched by ED in connection with an alleged scam in exporting fertiliser.

Alleged scam unearthed in 2012-13

Rs 150 crore transaction made by a company linked to Agrasen Gehlot for the purpose of exporting fertilisers meant for farmers has now come under the scanner of the agency.  "There is a predicate offence with the Customs department already registering a case and penalising the company for the alleged violation," said a source.

Anupam Krishi, a firm linked to Agrasen Gehlot, exported the fertiliser to countries like Malaysia and Taiwan. Around 35,000 tonnes of subsidised fertiliser, muriate of potash, (MOP), was exported while it was banned. This took place between 2007-2009. The Customs department has already penalised the firm for around Rs 5.75 crore. The alleged scam was first unearthed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in 2012-13.

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Agrasen Gehlot has already appeared before the Customs department and said that few middlemen had bought MOP from him to distribute it to the farmers but instead exported it. Meanwhile, Income Tax has asked Ratan Kant Sharma of Hotel Fairmont to join the Investigation. IT has recovered coded entries on the parallel book of accounts maintained by Sharma. This was recovered during the searches in Mumbai. Prima Facie case of tax evasion and Benami transactions.

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