The Rajasthan government has greenlit a full-scale Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) probe into serious allegations against IAS officer Shikhar Agrawal involving property deals worth over ₹5 crore. The preliminary inquiry seeks to uncover whether Agrawal, formerly Additional Chief Secretary in the Industries Department, handed out improper advantages to a hospitality firm while acquiring resort villas at allegedly undervalued prices for himself and his family.
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## Links to Goyal Fashions & Ananta Resorts under Scrutiny
The investigation centers on alleged collusion between Agrawal and the directors of Goyal Fashions Private Limited—a company running hotels and resorts using the *Ananta* brand. Key complaints include:
– Concessions granted in construction norms
– Approvals given without proper verification of required certificates
– Issuance of a special concessional financial package by the state Finance Department
The ACB has also identified acquisitions of multiple resort villas registered in Agrawal’s name or those of his relatives. These purchases appear to correspond with official decisions favoring Goyal Fashions.
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## Property Transactions: Bujhda (Udaipur) and Ajabgarh (Alwar)
Two Ananta-resort locations, in Bujhda (Udaipur) and Ajabgarh (Alwar), figure prominently in the allegations.
### Bujhda, Udaipur
– **Date:** March 2026
– **What was bought:** 20 villas
– **Ownership split:** 10 villas in Agrawal’s name, 10 in his wife Prashakha Mathur’s name (she is an IPS officer)
– **Price per villa:** Approx. ₹15 lakh each
– **Sub-total value:** Around ₹3 crore for those 20 villas
### Ajabgarh, Alwar
– **What was identified:** 16 villas
– **Ownership details:**
– 8 villas in the names of Agrawal and Mathur (4 each) at ₹16.5 lakh each
– 4 villas in their sons’ names at ~₹15 lakh each
– 4 villas in their parents-in-law’s names at ~₹16.5 lakh each
– **Combined figure for both sites (36 villas):** Approx. ₹5.52 crore (at reported purchase prices)
Note: Other reports mention up to **40 properties** for around ₹6.165 crore. These discrepancies stem from different media sources quoting varied numbers.
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## Timeline & Key Events
– **March 27, 2026:** Financed package granted to Goyal Fashions by the state; apparently the same day 20 villas in Ajabgarh were registered in Agrawal’s family members’ names.
– **October 27, 2026:** Media report spurred preliminary ACB inquiry.
– **October 30-31, 2026:** State government approves a detailed investigation under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, which requires prior sanction to probe public servants for alleged corruption. ACB launches a preliminary inquiry.
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## Status of the Officers & Reporting Gaps
– Shikhar Agrawal has been placed on **Awaiting Posting Orders (APO)**. His wife, Prashakha Mathur, who served as Additional Director General of Police (Planning, Modernisation & Welfare), has also been placed on APO as of October 31.
– Media investigations reveal that Agrawal listed 14 properties in his January 2026 property return, whereas Mathur declared none—despite several villas being registered in her name and those of her family. These irregularities are now part of the probe.
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## Legal Framework: Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act
Section 17A requires government approval before investigating public servants for alleged corruption, unless the individual is caught red-handed. Since Agrawal has held several powerful administrative positions—District Collector of Udaipur, Chairman of the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, Additional Chief Secretary in the Industries Department—the ACB’s inquiry focuses on whether decisions made while holding these posts unfairly benefitted Goyal Fashions.
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## What the ACB May Focus On Next
The core areas under examination include:
– Whether assets acquired are disproportionate to declared income
– If official decisions (clearances, incentives, relaxations) were misused to favour Goyal Fashions
– Links between the timing of financial incentives and property registrations
– Accuracy and completeness of the officers’ asset disclosures in their income tax and property returns
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As the probe unfolds, it aims to determine if serious misconduct has occurred. That could lead not only to departmental action but also criminal charges if wrongdoing is established.
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