In a stunning crackdown, Congress Vice President Hira Jotva and his son Digvijay Jotva have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a massive ₹7.3 crore corruption scandal linked to MGNREGA scheme projects across three talukas of Gujarat’s Bharuch district.
The scam came to light after a formal complaint was registered at the Bharuch A Division Police Station, prompting the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Acting swiftly, police brought Hira Jotva from Gir Somnath to Bharuch for questioning late last night. Following prolonged interrogation, Jotva was placed under arrest along with Rajesh Tailor, an outsourced employee at the Hansot TDO office.
Police found that the 60:40 labour-material spending ratio was not maintained and that construction materials billed did not match what was used on the ground. “The proprietors of Jalaram and Murlidhar agencies are on the run, and details suggest more people are involved,” Chawda added.
The investigation revealed that Hira Jotva allegedly operated agencies in the names of others while routing funds into relatives’ accounts. His son Digvijay Jotva was tracked and arrested from Gir-Somnath for diverting government money into personal accounts. Rajesh Tailor was allegedly collecting payments using fake job cards and non-existent workers.
“Our evidence shows a conspiracy involving forged documents, creating fake job cards, and pushing funds to accounts of people who didn’t work. These amounts were then siphoned for personal gain,” Chawda stated, adding that further arrests are likely.
