The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked Agrasen Gehlot, brother of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, to record his statement on August 4 in connection with the alleged illegal export of subsidised fertilizer.
The agency had summoned Mr. Agrasen Gehlot on Wednesday. “His son informed the probe team that he could not join the investigation due to health reasons. We have now asked him to appear on Tuesday [August 4],” said a senior ED official.
Earlier this month, the agency had searched multiple locations linked to the suspects in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Mumbai and West Bengal.
It is alleged that potassium chloride, known as muriate of potash (MoP), was illegally exported to Malaysia and Taiwan from 2007 to 2009. The MoP had been provided at subsidised rates for distribution among farmers.
“Three parties were involved in the illegal export, including Jodhpur-based Anupam Krishi, owned by Mr. Agrasen Gehlot. His company allegedly made ₹150 crore through the export of 35,000 metric tonnes of MoP. The other parties also made huge financial gains,” the official had earlier said.
The alleged scam was first detected by the Ahmedabad zone of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in 2013. The MoP was shown as feldspar power or salt to evade detection.
The Commissioner of Customs imposed penalty of about ₹7 crore on the accused persons. A prosecution complaint was also filed.
The ED is conducting the money-laundering probe based on the DRI’s findings.
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