Gujarat mantri Bachu Khabad's socond son Kiran also held in Rs 71 crore MGNREGS scam

VADODARA: Gujarat minister of state for agriculture and panchayat Bachu Khabad's second son, Kiran Khabad (39), was arrested Monday in connection with a Rs 71 crore MGNREGS scam in Dahod. Three others, including Khabad's nephew Dilip Chauhan, were also arrested, taking the total number of arrests to 11.

Kiran's elder brother Balwant Khabad (43) was arrested Saturday. Both are linked to firms that supplied materials for MGNREGS projects in Devgadhbaria and Dhanpur talukas without qualifying through the mandatory bidding process. Police said these firms received funds despite not securing any contracts.

A probe by District Rural Development Agency flagged 32 firms. Balwant is tied to Shri Raj Construction Co, which received Rs 82 lakh, while Kiran's Shri Raj Traders was paid over Rs 30 crore - more than 40% of the total funds siphoned off in scam.

DRDA's inquiry found that much of the sanctioned roadwork was never executed, with payments made based on falsified progress between 2021-22 and 2023-24.