ACB carries out raids at premises of Jaipur Development Authority engineer in corruption case

Jaipur: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Rajasthan on Tuesday conducted searches at the premises of superintendent engineer of Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) Avinash Sharma and others in a corruption case, an official said.

The officer has been accused of acquiring assets worth Rs 6.25 crore, which is 253 per cent more than his income, since his appointment in the service, the official said.

Twelve teams conducted searches at the premises of Sharma, Superintendent Engineer XII in JDA, and others at seven locations.

Sharma has been found to have purchased more than 50 properties in 25 colonies around Jaipur's prominent areas like Gopalpura Mod, Mansarovar, Sanganer, Prithviraj Nagar, Jagatpura, Pratapnagar and Ring Road. He also spent crores of rupees in construction, sources said.

The ACB sleuths have found that Sharma allegedly indulged in corruption and benefitted housing societies and builders and acquired plots as reward or at very low rates in their schemes. The value of the plots at the time of purchase was crores of rupees.

The officer and his family members were found to have around Rs 30 lakh in a total of seven bank accounts.

Sharma was found to have spent around Rs 50 lakh on the schooling, coaching and higher education of his daughters. He also invested around Rs 90 lakh in mutual funds, the official said.

Also, he spent around Rs 25 lakh on the purchase of four-wheelers and two-wheelers.

"The possibility of providing undue benefit to the land developers and builders cannot be ruled out," the ACB official said.