Gujarat Minister’s Sons Caught in Web of Rs.71 Cr MGNREGA Scam

Ahmedabad, Gujarat — A staggering ₹71 crore MGNREGA scam, implicating the sons of Gujarat Minister Bachu Khabad, took a dramatic turn in a sessions court on Monday. Prosecutors presented a mountain of evidence, vehemently arguing for the cancellation of their bail, painting a damning picture of direct involvement in the embezzlement of public funds meant for the impoverished.

The court heard a revision petition seeking to revoke the bail granted to Balwant Khabad and Kiran Khabad, sons of the Minister of State for Panchayat & Agriculture. The government lawyer meticulously detailed their alleged roles in the multi-crore fraud, spanning villages in Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas of Dahod.

“This was not merely an oversight; it was a calculated scheme to defraud the government,” asserted the state’s legal representative. The most explosive revelation came with the presentation of evidence from Balwant Khabad’s mobile phone. Not only were chat records and incriminating posts recovered, but astonishingly, confidential passwords and keys — typically reserved for authorized government officials to process and approve payments — were also found on his device. “This unequivocally proves Balwant’s direct involvement in the scam,” the prosecution argued, leaving little doubt about the gravity of the allegations.

The court was informed that Kiran Khabad, through “Raj Traders Agency,” allegedly orchestrated fraud in Lavariya, Redhana, and Simamoi villages. A staggering 21 projects in Lavariya alone were exposed as entirely fictitious, existing only on paper while funds were siphoned off. Similarly, elder son Balwant stands accused of operating “Raj Construction,” utilizing fabricated paperwork in Redhana, Kuva, Bhanpur, and Simamoi. In Bhanpur, ₹33 lakh worth of work was shown as completed without a single physical undertaking. Further scrutiny uncovered irregularities amounting to ₹9 crore in Kuva and Redhana.

Despite these serious charges, a lower court had previously granted bail to Kiran and Balwant, classifying them as mere agency holders. However, the Dahod police, armed with fresh evidence, filed a robust revision application in the higher court, pushing for the immediate cancellation of their bail. The Khabad brothers, in a bizarre twist, were promptly re-arrested in connection with another case immediately after their release, underscoring the ongoing legal challenges they face.