Rajasthan Chief Minister’s Brother Summoned By Central Agency

The brother of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has been summoned again by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in a case of illegal export of fertiliser. Agrasen Gehlot has been told to come to the probe agency’s office in Delhi tomorrow.

Mr Gehlot will come to the Enforcement Directorate’s headquarters in the national capital along with his lawyers, sources have said. Mr Gehlot had appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi last month too.

He and some others are linked to alleged irregularities in fertiliser export. He had earlier been questioned in this case but had approached court, seeking relief from the probe agency’s action.

The Rajasthan High Court recently asked him to cooperate with the agency in the investigation and directed the Enforcement Directorate to not take any coercive action against him.

The agency had raided his businesses in Rajasthan in July last year. The raids came amid a political fight between Ashok Gehlot and his then deputy Sachin Pilot in the state. The ruling Congress in the state had said it will not be scared of such actions by central probe agencies.

Mr Gehlot’s son Anupam had also deposed before the agency in the case.

The probe agency’s action last year came after it filed a criminal case based on a 2007-09 customs department matter, which alleged irregularities in procurement and export of subsidised muriate of potash or MOP meant for farmers and investigation in this case was finalised in 2013.