ED Raids Rajasthan Congress Leader Khachariyawas in Rs 48,000 Crore PACL Scam
ED Swoops on Rajasthan Congress Leader’s Home in Massive PACL Scam Probe
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched raids on Tuesday at the residence of senior Rajasthan Congress leader Pratap Singh Khachariyawas and over a dozen other locations, probing a Rs 48,000-crore money laundering case tied to the PACL Ponzi scam.
The operation, backed by CRPF security, zeroed in on Khachariyawas’s Jaipur home, sparking a political firestorm.
Khachariyawas, a former minister and nephew of late Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, slammed the raids as “politically motivated,” alleging the BJP-led government was targeting him for his vocal criticism. “I’m not scared,” he told reporters, flanked by supporters chanting slogans outside his ancestral home. “The ED hasn’t linked this to any company. It’s their right to search, but I’ve done nothing wrong.”
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The 2015 investigation stems from a CBI FIR against PACL India Limited and its late promoter Nirmal Singh Bhangoo, accused of defrauding investors through sham investment schemes. The ED claims PACL siphoned off Rs 48,000 crore, with alleged proceeds funneled to entities connected to Khachariyawas. Assets worth Rs 706 crore, including Australian properties, have been attached, and chargesheets filed against PACL and others.
Khachariyawas, denying any company ties, accused the ED of acting without cause. “They’ve targeted Rahul Gandhi too. I’ll respond when they give a reason,” he said, vowing to build a new “Kranti House” to continue his fight. Congress leader Tikaram Jully called the raids “political revenge,” citing similar harassment in 2020.
As the ED digs deeper, the raids have intensified Rajasthan’s political tensions, with Congress rallying behind Khachariyawas against what they term BJP’s misuse of central agencies.
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