Former Rajasthan minister, municipality chairman booked for alleged irregularities in release of tenders

Cops said that on a complaint by Anta city BJP president Rameshwar Khandelwal, the police lodged a case against Pramod Jain Bhaya, who was the mining minister in the previous Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government.

Kota (Rajasthan): Former Rajasthan minister Pramod Jain Bhaya and Anta municipality chairman Mustafa Khan were on Monday booked for cheating, forgery and other charges in Baran district for allegedly illegally sanctioning tenders after the enforcement of the model code of conduct for state elections in September last year.

DSP Omendra Singh said that on a complaint by Anta city BJP president Rameshwar Khandelwal, the police lodged a case against Bhaya, who was the mining minister in the previous Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government, and Khan at Anta police station.

They have been booked under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 406 ( criminal breach of trust); 467, 468 and 471 (related to forgery) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy).

It is alleged that Bhaya and Khan 'sanctioned and opened tenders' of Anta municipality through forged documents with 'back date' after the enforcement of the model code of conduct for election on September 9, 2023.

'The police collected necessary documents from Anta municipality and, after an initial investigation, lodged the case in the matter. A probe is on against officials involved in the tender process in the municipality,' DSP Singh, who is the Circle Officer- Anta, said.