In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has revived its investigation into a massive alleged corruption scandal in Rajasthan's mid-day meal scheme, with the estimated scam value pegged at a staggering Rs 2,000 crore. The probe was reactivated following a fresh First Information Report (FIR) filed by the state's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
ACB FIR Triggers ED Action
The ED's Jaipur zonal office confirmed on Saturday that its money laundering investigation, which had been temporarily closed, is now back on track. This revival comes directly after the Rajasthan ACB registered a new FIR last week. On January 7, 2024, the ACB named 21 accused in its case, including officials from the Rajasthan State Cooperative Consumer Federation (CONFED), several private firm owners, and Madhur Yadav and Tribhuvan Yadav, the sons of former state minister Rajendra Yadav.
The charges have been filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the Rajasthan Transparency in Public Procurement Act. The core allegation involves large-scale corruption in the supply of dry ration packets—containing pulses, cooking oil, and spices—to schoolchildren across the state between 2020 and 2023.
History of the ED's Probe
The ED had initially stepped into the case in 2023. An agency official explained the sequence of events: "On September 26, 2023, we conducted searches at multiple locations linked to the sons of former junior Rajasthan Home minister Rajendra Yadav and their associates in connection with suspected irregularities in the scheme. We registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in 2023, but were forced to close the money laundering proceedings after the state police shut the scheduled offence."
An ECIR is the ED's equivalent of an FIR. The closure of the "scheduled offence"—the original predicate crime investigated by the police—had stalled the ED's probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). However, with the ACB's recent FIR establishing a new scheduled offence, the 2023 ECIR "stands revived," as per officials.
Implications and Next Steps
The revival of this high-value probe signals intensifying scrutiny over the alleged siphoning of funds meant for one of the country's largest welfare schemes for schoolchildren. The involvement of a former minister's family members adds a significant political dimension to the case. The ED is now expected to actively pursue the money trail, potentially leading to new searches, seizures, and summonses to the accused to determine how the proceeds of the alleged corruption were laundered.
This case highlights the critical inter-agency coordination between the state anti-corruption body and the federal financial investigation agency in tackling complex economic crimes. The focus will remain on the alleged manipulation in the supply chain of essential food items, which directly impacted the nutritional security of lakhs of students in Rajasthan.
