JAIPUR — The Rajasthan government has escalated its pursuit of retired 1988-batch IAS officer Subodh Agarwal, moving to lock India’s borders against him. On Wednesday evening, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) formally sent a requisition to New Delhi for a Look Out Circular (LOC), effectively labeling the former Additional Chief Secretary a "person of interest" at all international airports and seaports.
The "9 PM" Escape
The urgency follows a high-stakes "miss" by investigators. At 4:00 AM on February 17, ACB tactical teams breached Agarwal’s Jaipur residence, only to find it empty. Subsequent analysis of CCTV footage revealed a calculated departure: Agarwal was seen leaving the premises at 9:00 PM the previous night, just hours before the coordinated multi-state raids began.
The Anatomy of the $₹960$ Crore Fraud
The investigation, spearheaded by the Bhajan Lal Sharma-led government, focuses on a web of corruption within the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM):
The Forgery: Two primary firms—Shree Shyam Tubewell Company and Shri Ganpati Tubewell Company—allegedly secured contracts by submitting forged completion certificates from IRCON.
The "Ghost" Payments: Investigators have unearthed approximately $₹55$ crore in payments made for work that was never executed or used substandard materials.
The Middlemen: The ACB has already dismantled a layer of the operation, arresting 9 senior officials. This includes XEN Vishal Saxena, who was apprehended in a dramatic 5:00 AM raid at the Barmer Railway Station after arriving to visit a local temple.
A Bureaucracy Under Siege
The fallout has sent shockwaves through the state's administrative corridors. While nine suspects are currently in a 3-day police remand, four others have managed to secure "no-coercive-action" orders from the Rajasthan High Court, highlighting a deepening legal tug-of-war.
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For Subodh Agarwal, who retired on December 31, 2025—mere days after his prosecution was sanctioned—the transition from the state's most senior bureaucrat to a fugitive is nearly complete.
"It is critical to ensure he does not leave the country," stated ACB SP Pushpendra Singh. "The requisition is with the immigration authorities; the net is closing."
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