CBI raids Jodhpur residence of Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot’s brother Agrasen Gehlot

CBI on Friday carried out searches at the residence of Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s brother, Agrasen Gehlot, in Jodhpur. Agrasen Gehlot has been under the scanner of ED over alleged irregularities in exports of Muriate of Potash meant for Indian farmers.

Consisting of five officers from Delhi and five from Jodhpur, the CBI team reached Agrasen’s residence early in the morning. The team carried out searches at Agrasen’s residence and office.

This is the second such raid in two years at the chief minister’s brother’s house. The Enforcement Directorate had carried out searches two years ago at the time of the political crisis on the Gehlot government.

Reacting to the CBI raid, CM Gehlot said, “I took part in agitation for Rahul Gandhi, but why my brother is being targeted? He is not in politics. No one from my family is in politics. This approach is not good for BJP.”

Notably, a case was earlier filed by the Enforcement Directorate.

The investigation is linked to the export of Muriate of Potash or MoP, Agrasen has been accused of selling the MoP, which he got at a subsidised rate, to firms in Malaysia and Singapore as industrial salt.

MoP is a restricted commodity for export under the foreign trade policy.

The ED had filed the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for alleged illegal transactions between 2007 and 2009.

The probe is based on an investigation carried out by the customs department and the Directorate of Revenue and Intelligence (DRI) in 2009 in the export of Muriate of Potash or MOP worth Rs 57 lakh in 12 consignments the same year.