A court in Bharuch on Friday evening approved six-day police custody for Gujarat Congress vice president Hira Jotva, his son Digvijay Jotva, and outsourced technical assistant Ramesh Tailor in connection with a Rs 7.3 crore scam under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).&nbsp;
The remand order follows a series of arrests made since Thursday night, tied to large-scale financial discrepancies in material procurement across multiple talukas of Bharuch district.
Hira Jotva, formerly a Lok Sabha candidate from Junagadh, was detained late Thursday and officially arrested on Friday. His son Digvijay, who recently assumed office as the Sarpanch of Supasi village, was apprehended by Junagadh police and brought to Bharuch on a transfer warrant later that day.
The arrests stem from an FIR registered at Bharuch &lsquo;A&rsquo; Division Police Station, based on a complaint submitted by Pratik Chaudhary, Assistant Project Officer at the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA).&nbsp;
The report alleged serious breaches in the 60:40 labour-to-material expenditure ratio stipulated by MGNREGA, and that fabricated records and exaggerated material usage led to disbursed payments despite non-compliance with government protocols.
According to the investigation, the Jotvas had financial interests in two Gir Somnath-based firms&mdash;Jalaram Enterprises and Murlidhar Enterprises&mdash;tasked with road construction projects across Amod, Jambusar, and Hansot talukas between January 20, 2023, and June 30, 2024.
Bharuch Superintendent of Police Mayur Chavda stated the two acted as silent stakeholders, directly benefiting from falsified billing practices and siphoned public funds. "They were not just linked to the firms; they profited from the misuse of government money," he said.
Police claim that only a fraction of the materials shown in records was actually delivered or used at project sites. The bills were allegedly manipulated to display inflated quantities and forged compliance with standard procedures.
Ramesh Tailor, a technical assistant stationed at the Hansot Taluka Development Office and employed on a contractual basis, was also arrested. Investigators say he played a key role in generating false documentation and billing under the guidance of the Jotvas. Phone records reportedly establish frequent communication between Tailor and Hira Jotva.
In the ongoing probe, police have so far recorded statements from over 70 witnesses. As more documents were examined, including billing records and payment vouchers, authorities identified the involvement of additional individuals.&nbsp;
On Friday, agency proprietors Piyush Nukani and Jodha Sabhad, previously on the run, were taken into custody. Investigators are currently tracing the flow of funds with an aim to recover the misused amount during the remand period.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed to handle the case, is also looking into possible collusion between contractors and officials, violations in the bidding process, and manipulation of project approvals. The police had originally sought a 14-day remand, but the court granted six days.
This case comes on the heels of another MGNREGA-related investigation in Gujarat&rsquo;s Dahod district, involving the sons of BJP minister Bachu Khabad. The Congress party, reacting to the recent arrests, has alleged political vendetta, accusing the ruling BJP of shielding its own members while targeting opposition figures.
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Court grants six-day remand as probe deepens into Rs 7.3 crore MGNREGA fraud in Bharuch district.

MGNREGA Scam: Gujarat Cong VP, Son in Six-Day Custody

Court grants six-day remand as probe deepens into Rs 7.3 crore MGNREGA fraud in Bharuch district.

June 29, 2025 | 24:13 IST