Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma Forms New Committee to Investigate Single Lease Case

The state government of Rajasthan, led by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, has formed a new committee to investigate the single lease case. This committee is chaired by former judge R.S. Rathore and includes the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department and the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development and Housing Department.

Previously, a committee formed during the last government faced criticism for including officials from the then-UDH Minister’s office, raising concerns about its impartiality. Recently, the Bhajanlal government cleared Congress MLA Shanti Dhariwal and three other officials of any wrongdoing in the single lease case.

The case dates back to June 29, 2011, when the Jaipur Development Authority issued a single lease to Shailendra Garg, the proprietor of Ganapati Construction. A complaint was filed in 2013, leading to the arrest of several officials. Although the ACB presented closure reports clearing the accused, the court rejected these reports. An SLP was filed in the Supreme Court by RTI activist Ashok Pathak, arguing that the case should not be closed based on the complainant’s consent alone.

In response, the Rajasthan government stated that there was no case but has now formed a new committee to ensure a fair investigation.