JAIPUR: A special court dealing with anti-corruption cases in Rajasthan’s Jaipur region has formally charged five individuals, including Urban Development and Housing (UDH) Minister Jhabar Singh Kharra and former development officer Ummed Singh Rao, with corruption amounting to Rs 14 lakh rupees and fraud in an 18-year-old case involving the procurement of pipes within the Public Health Engineering Department.Kharra held the position of the head of Shrimadhopur Panchayat Samiti at the time of the alleged offences. According to Judge Brijesh Kumar of the ACB Court, Jhabar Singh Kharra, along with co-accused Krishna Kumar Gupta and Nehru Lal, allegedly convened a meeting of the Panchayat Committee to propose the supply of drinking water, purportedly as part of a criminal conspiracy.Subsequently, they are accused of colluding with tender participant Bhairuram to manipulate the tender process, despite Bhairuram’s purported lack of authorisation as a PVC pipe contractor and experience in such work.The court’s order highlighted that the Panchayat Samiti paid Rs 27,38,477 to Bhairuram for the purchase of pipes, while investigations indicate that he procured the pipes for Rs 13,24,339. This apparent discrepancy purportedly resulted in a loss of Rs 14,14,078 to the exchequer, constituting a violation of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120 of the Indian Penal Code.
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