01 June,2025 06:06 PM IST | Dahod | mid-day online correspondent
On May 16, both the sons of the minister were arrested in connection with the alleged Rs 71 crore MGNREGA scam. Representational pic
Gujarat Minister Bachubhai Khabad's son, Balvant Khabad, was arrested on Sunday, days after being granted bail in another case connected to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) works, police said.
Balvant, along with his brother Kiran - both sons of the Gujarat Minister of State for Panchayat and Agriculture - were released on bail on May 29 in the first FIR filed against them in April, reported news agency PTI.
While Kiran was arrested the same day in another case, Balvant was arrested on Sunday after Dahod 'B' Division police registered a fresh FIR against him on Saturday, Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagdishsinh Bhandari said.
"As per the FIR registered on May 31, Khabad's firm received payments of Rs 33.86 lakh from the government without completing work allotted to it under the MGNREGA at Bhanpur village in Dahod's Dhanpur taluka in 2022-23," Bhandari said.
According to PTI, this is the third FIR lodged by Dahod police since April, after authorities discovered that payments were made to various agencies despite their failure to supply the material for which they were given contracts under MGNREGA.
As per the FIR registered by Dahod 'B' Division police on May 31, Balvant Khabad's firm - Shree Raj Construction Company, Pipero - in connivance with government employees, managed to receive a payment of Rs 33.86 lakh without supplying materials for the MGNREGA project at Bhanpur village.
Earlier, on May 16, both Balvant and Kiran were arrested on charges of cheating, forgery, and breach of trust after the first FIR was registered in April in connection with the alleged Rs 71 crore MGNREGA scam.
According to the FIR, various agencies had not completed the assigned work or supplied the required materials between 2021 and 2024, but claimed payments by submitting bogus work completion certificates and forged documents, reported PTI.
Police stated that Balvant and Kiran are proprietors of agencies implicated in fraudulent MGNREGA projects carried out in Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas of Dahod district.
While both received bail on May 29, Dahod police arrested Kiran in a fresh case as soon as he was released from prison the same day.
As per the FIR lodged by Dahod 'B' Division police on May 29 against agency owners and government officials, a payment of Rs 18.41 lakh was made to agencies - including a firm owned by Kiran - despite incomplete work carried out in Lavaria village of Dahod under MGNREGA.
(With inputs from PTI)
