ED Raids Ex-Rajasthan Minister Khachariyawas in PACL Scam; Congress Cries 'Political Vendetta'

Jaipur-  The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday raided 19 locations, including the residence of former Rajasthan Minister and Congress leader Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, in connection with the Rs 48,100 crore PACL scam. The Congress has slammed the move as "political revenge," with Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully calling it a BJP tactic to silence critics.

The ED’s Delhi team, assisted by Jaipur officials, began searches at 5 a.m., targeting properties linked to Khachariyawas and his family. Sources say the probe revolves around Rs 2,850 crore allegedly diverted in Rajasthan, with around Rs 30 crore under scrutiny for possible links to the ex-minister.

The PACL scam is one of India's largest financial frauds, where over 5.85 crore investors across the country were duped of their money under the guise of real estate investments. In Rajasthan alone, approximately 28 lakh people had invested around Rs 2,850 crore in 17 years.

The scam came to light following an investigation by SEBI, which deemed PACL's investment schemes illegal and ordered the company to shut down its operations on August 22, 2014. Investors’ funds remained locked after the closure. In February 2016, the Supreme Court appointed a committee under the chairmanship of former Chief Justice R.M. Lodha to recover funds by auctioning PACL’s assets and refunding the affected investors with interest. According to SEBI’s assessment, PACL owns assets worth Rs 1.86 lakh crore, four times the amount collected from investors.

BJP Using Agencies to Target Opponents": Congress

Jully strongly condemned the raids, saying, "Former Minister and senior Congress leader Pratap Singh Khachariyawas has been fearlessly speaking against the BJP government. Scared of his voice, the BJP has sent central agencies to his doorstep. A similar attempt was made to harass him in 2020. This action, driven by political vendetta, is deplorable."

Khachariyawas, a minister in the previous Gehlot government, said, "I received no prior ED notice—only when they arrived this morning. The notice gives no reason for the raid." He assured cooperation but denied wrongdoing.

As ED officials continued searches, Congress workers gathered outside his residence, chanting slogans before being calmed by Khachariyawas himself. A legal team also arrived to assist him.