Jaipur: A team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday raided the house of Rajasthan Congress leader and former minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas in Jaipur as part of a a Rs 49,000-crore PACL Ponzi "fraud"-linked to money laundering probe, official sources said.
Nearly 15 premises were searched in the city and CRPF personnel were also deployed during this.
On information, a large number of Khachariyawas's supporters and Congress workers gathered at the spot and started raising slogans against the Centre and state government. Khachariyawas later came out of the house and tried to pacify his supporters.
Amid protest by his supporters, Khachariyawas, nephew of former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat addressed reporters outside his house. He alleged that the ED action was politically motivated saying, "The Central and state government want to suppress my voice since the government's corruption has been exposed. So, ED team has been sent to my house."
The Congress leader also said he is not afraid of the ED or the double-engine government. "ED can search any premise but no notice linking to any company has been served. I am not afraid of such raids," he said.
The former minister further said, "Since ED has come, let it conduct the searches so that the country knows the truth. BJP wants to scare us. We will not be afraid. We will continue to go across the state and expose the government's misdeeds. ED has come to search without any reason and without serving requisite notice," he added.
The money laundering probe of 2015 stems from a CBI FIR against PACL India Limited, PGF Limited, late PACL promoter Nirmal Singh Bhagoo and others for operating "fraudulent" investment schemes to deceive investors. The alleged proceeds of crime are suspected to have been diverted to various entities including those linked to Khachariyawas, sources said. (With PTI input)
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