Rajasthan IAS-IPS Couple Under ACB Scanner Over 36 Luxury Villas Worth Rs 5.52 Crore
A major corruption probe has been launched in Rajasthan against senior IAS officer Shikhar Agrawal over allegations of misuse of official position, undue favours to a private hospitality company and the purchase of multiple luxury resort villas at prices allegedly much lower than their market value.
The Rajasthan government’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has been authorised to conduct a detailed investigation into the alleged transactions involving Agrawal, his IPS officer wife Prashakha Mathur and other family members. The probe will also examine the role of directors of Goyal Fashions Private Limited, which operates hotels and resorts under the Ananta brand.
The allegations suggest that Agrawal may have used his official influence to extend financial concessions and regulatory benefits to the company in return for personal advantages. Investigators are examining alleged relaxations in resort construction norms, approvals granted without proper verification of mandatory certificates and the subsequent acquisition of several resort properties in the names of his family members.
The investigation follows a preliminary inquiry conducted by the Rajasthan ACB after examining a report published by Dainik Bhaskar on October 27, information received from the Industries Department and inputs from confidential sources.
ACB Director General Govind Gupta confirmed that the state government had granted prior approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, to investigate Agrawal, the company’s directors and other individuals allegedly connected with the matter.
According to the preliminary findings, the officer is suspected of entering into a criminal conspiracy with the company’s directors and misusing his official position to benefit both himself and the private company, potentially resulting in substantial financial losses to the state exchequer.
The ACB is examining decisions taken by Agrawal during his tenure in several important administrative positions, including District Collector of Udaipur, Chairman of the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board and Additional Chief Secretary of the Industries Department.
Investigators are trying to establish whether decisions taken during these postings helped Goyal Fashions Private Limited secure special benefits and whether those decisions were linked to the purchase of resort villas by Agrawal and his family.
The company operates Ananta-branded hotels and resorts at Bujhda in Udaipur and Ajabgarh in Alwar. Both properties have emerged as key locations in the ongoing investigation.
One of the major aspects of the probe concerns the alleged purchase of 20 villas at Bujhda in Udaipur in March 2026.
According to the preliminary inquiry, 10 villas were registered in the name of IAS officer Shikhar Agrawal, while another 10 were registered in the name of his wife, IPS officer Prashakha Mathur.
Each villa was reportedly purchased for approximately Rs 15 lakh, taking the combined reported value of the 20 properties to around Rs 3 crore.
The investigation has also uncovered details of 16 villas allegedly acquired at Ananta Resort in Ajabgarh, Alwar, in the names of Agrawal and his relatives.
Of these, eight villas were reportedly registered in the names of Agrawal and his wife, with four properties each.
Four more villas were allegedly purchased in the names of their two sons, while another four were registered in the names of Agrawal’s parents-in-law.
The reported purchase prices ranged between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 16.5 lakh per villa. The eight properties registered in the names of Agrawal and his wife reportedly cost Rs 16.5 lakh each. The four villas registered in their sons’ names were reportedly purchased for around Rs 15 lakh each, while the remaining four properties in the names of his parents-in-law reportedly cost Rs 16.5 lakh each.
With 20 villas in Udaipur and 16 in Alwar, the total number of properties under scrutiny has reached 36. Based on the reported transaction prices, their combined value is estimated at approximately Rs 5.52 crore.
Another significant development concerns a special concessional financial package reportedly extended to Goyal Fashions Private Limited by the Rajasthan Finance Department on March 27, 2026.
The ACB has also gathered information indicating that 20 villas were registered in the names of Agrawal and his family members on the very same day.
Investigators are now examining the timing of these transactions and whether the financial concessions granted to the company were connected to the alleged property purchases.
The probe is expected to focus on the relationship between official decisions, benefits extended to the private company and the acquisition of properties by the IAS officer’s family.
The allegations are currently under investigation, and the ACB’s findings will determine whether any criminal wrongdoing took place.
