Gujarat Minister Vanishes Amid Sons’ MGNREGA Scam

Gandhinagar, Gujarat –: A cloud of uncertainty looms large over the political future of Gujarat Minister Bachu Khabad, after his two sons were arrested in a sensational MGNREGA scam that has rocked the tribal regions of Dahod district. The case, which involves fake work certificates, ghost agencies, and large-scale embezzlement of rural development funds, has not only led to arrests but also triggered Khabad’s complete disappearance from the political and administrative map of Gujarat.

Once a regular at cabinet meetings and grassroots events, Khabad has been conspicuously absent for over two weeks. He missed Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, and sources confirm that he was also instructed to stay away from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the state. The silence is deafening, and his once-bustling chamber in Swarnim Sankul-2 now lies deserted — manned only by a solitary attendant.

“His presence is as good as nullified. There’s no clarity on his responsibilities, and no one is seeking meetings with him anymore,” said a senior Secretariat official, highlighting Khabad’s fall from grace.

Scam Deepens: A Web of Fake Roads and Ghost Contractors

The MGNREGA scam under investigation took place in three villages — Kuva and Redhana in Devgadh Baria taluka, and Simamoi in Dhanpur taluka. The projects in question included construction of mud roads, CC roads, check dams, and bunds. However, many of these were never completed or barely initiated, yet fake completion certificates were issued, enabling fraudulent disbursal of funds.

The police have exposed a trail of forged documentation and illegal payments to 35 agencies, many of which never even participated in the tender process. Of these, 28 firms are from Devgadh Baria and 7 from Dhanpur. Notably, one of the implicated firms is owned by Balvant Khabad, son of Minister Bachu Khabad.

“Payments were made to ghost contractors while real work was never done. This is not just mismanagement—it’s deliberate and systemic fraud,” said an official involved in the probe.

The arrested sons were initially granted bail, but police have since approached a higher court to have the bail cancelled, signaling the gravity of the charges.

Political Fallout

With public outrage mounting and media glare intensifying, Bachu Khabad has effectively become a minister without a portfolio. His absence from public life speaks volumes about the internal pressure and damage control being conducted behind the scenes.