Latest news with #TDO
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Pregnant woman carried in a sling in Gujarat's Chhota Udepur, exposes crumbling claims of 'Vikas'
The video that surfaced on June 20 is a repeat of what has become a tragic routine in the area: critical patients being hoisted like loads, carried across muddy stretches to reach an ambulance waiting on the main road. Villagers reveal that even top officials, including the Collector and the Taluka Development Officer (TDO), have been stuck in the same area due to the pathetic road conditions. Yet, nothing changed. 'Pregnant women and the critically ill are regularly carried in this dangerous way,' a local resident said. 'Sometimes, people don't survive the delay," he added. Locals claim that despite multiple representations, the cries of these tribal communities remain unheard. The incident recalls an earlier tragedy from October 2024, when a woman in labor from Turkheda village died after being carried in a sling due to the absence of roads. The horrifying event led the Gujarat High Court to order the construction of roads in such regions. However, the ground reality remains unchanged, even after multiple months. The continuing string of similar incidents indicate not only administrative apathy but also a blatant disregard for the judiciary's orders. Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi launched a fierce attack on the BJP-led state government, saying, 'This is an incident that once again shames Gujarat due to the indifferent rulers. The government keeps blowing its trumpet of development and health services, but the reality is that even jeeps of Collectors have been trapped in these muddy patches.'
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
NREGA scam: Cops get 3-day custody of 3 officials
Vadodara: Three govt officials arrested for NREGA scams in Lavariya village of Devgadhbaria taluka and Bhanpur village of Dhanpur taluka in Dahod district were remanded in police custody on Saturday. The officials had been arrested on Friday in connection with the two fresh offences registered regarding the scam. In-charge deputy district development officer Rasik Rathwa, who was earlier the taluka development officer (TDO) in Devgadhbaria taluka, and accounts assistant Mahipal Chauhan were arrested on Friday for the offence regarding Lavariya village. Accounts assistant Jayvir Nagori was arrested for the Bhanpur village offence. All three accused were in judicial custody after being arrested for the first FIR filed and had got bail from a magisterial court on Thursday. They were, however, accused in the two FIRs registered later and were put under arrest on Friday. Dahod police sought 14 days of custodial interrogation of the trio. The court granted three days for police to interrogate them in custody. Earlier, Gujarat minister of state for agriculture and panchayats Bachu Khabad's two sons, Balwant Khabad and Kiran Khabad, were similarly arrested for the two fresh FIRs, after securing bail in the first case. They were sent to judicial custody on Friday after their remand period ended.
Indian Express
07-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
MGNREGA ‘scam': Khabad brothers sent to judicial custody, five others get bail
A court in Dahod on Friday sent Balvantsinh Khabad and Kiran Khabad — sons of Gujarat Minister of State for Panchayat, Bachubhai Khabad — to judicial custody, after the end of their police remand in two separate cases. The cases were lodged against them at Dahod B Division police station, following their bail in the first FIR of alleged irregularities in the works carried out under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in district's Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas. The development came a day after a court on Thursday granted regular bail to five others arrested in the first FIR of April 24. Those who have been granted bail include then Taluka Development Officer (TDO) of Devgadh Baria, Darshan Patel; Rasik Rathwa — the current Deputy District Development Officer (DDO) of Dahod, who was then the TDO of Dhanpur taluka; the accountants of the MGNREGA branch, Jayveer Nagori and Mahipalsinh Chauhanand, and technical assistant Manish Patel. The alleged scam — spanning from April 2021 to December 2024 — came to light when the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Director BM Patel discovered a large number of irregularities in the payments made for incomplete projects under MGNREGA in two villages in Devgadh Baria and one village in Dhanpur taluka, where several metres of road was left unconstructed but payments were made to 'unauthorised agencies', using forged completion certificates of the work. While 14 persons were arrested in connection with the FIR and sent to judicial custody at the end of their police remand, the Khabad brothers were granted regular bail on May 29, after the Dahod Sessions court rejected the police revision petition challenging the bail order. Within minutes of their release from Dahod sub-jail, Kiran Khabad was arrested in a second FIR filed by DRDA in-charge Director while Balvantsinh was arrested in another FIR two days later. On Friday, investigating officer DySP Jagdishsinh Bhandari told The Indian Express, 'Both Balvantsinh and Kiran Khabad have been sent to judicial custody on Friday. A total of five accused were granted bail. The remaining nine accused are in judicial custody… The probe is on in the case of other accused involved in the case, who are yet to be arrested.'
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Rs 71cr MNREGA scam: Five govt officials get bail in Dahod
Vadodara: Five govt officials accused in the Rs 71 crore MNREGA scam unearthed in Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas of Dahod district were granted bail by a magisterial court on Thursday. Their bail applications were heard on Monday and were posted for orders on Thursday. The five include former Devgadhbaria taluka development officer (TDO) Darshan Patel, account officers Jayvir Nagori and Mahipal Chauhan, and Gram Rozgar Sevaks (GRS) Mangal Pateliya and Fulsinh Bariya. Earlier, Gujarat's Minister of State for Agriculture and Panchayats Bachu Khabad's sons, Balwant and Kiran, were granted bail by the same court. They were, however, arrested in connection with two different cases later, and both are in police remand for investigation. The two fresh cases registered regarding the MNREGA scam concern irregularities in Devgadhbaria and Dhanpur talukas. Unlike the sons of the minister, the five officials were not named as accused in these cases. The remand of Balwant and Kiran will end on Friday, and they will be presented before the court. Their bails were also challenged in the Dahod sessions court by the investigating officer. Balwant and Kiran are linked to agencies that supplied material for MNREGA works in two talukas of Dahod district, even though they did not qualify as vendors in a bidding process. In total, 32 firms connected with the irregularity were detected in the probe by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), which registered an offence regarding the scam. The govt officials are accused of facilitating the swindling of money. The brothers are accused of siphoning off 40 per cent of the total amount of the scam. Vadodara: Five govt officials accused in the Rs 71 crore MNREGA scam unearthed in Devgadh Baria and Dhanpur talukas of Dahod district were granted bail by a magisterial court on Thursday. Their bail applications were heard on Monday and were posted for orders on Thursday. The five include former Devgadhbaria taluka development officer (TDO) Darshan Patel, account officers Jayvir Nagori and Mahipal Chauhan, and Gram Rozgar Sevaks (GRS) Mangal Pateliya and Fulsinh Bariya. Earlier, Gujarat's Minister of State for Agriculture and Panchayats Bachu Khabad's sons, Balwant and Kiran, were granted bail by the same court. They were, however, arrested in connection with two different cases later, and both are in police remand for investigation. The two fresh cases registered regarding the MNREGA scam concern irregularities in Devgadhbaria and Dhanpur talukas. Unlike the sons of the minister, the five officials were not named as accused in these cases. The remand of Balwant and Kiran will end on Friday, and they will be presented before the court. Their bails were also challenged in the Dahod sessions court by the investigating officer. Balwant and Kiran are linked to agencies that supplied material for MNREGA works in two talukas of Dahod district, even though they did not qualify as vendors in a bidding process. In total, 32 firms connected with the irregularity were detected in the probe by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), which registered an offence regarding the scam. The govt officials are accused of facilitating the swindling of money. The brothers are accused of siphoning off 40 per cent of the total amount of the scam.
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Court reserves order on bail pleas of 5
Vadodara: The magisterial court in Dahod on Monday reserved its verdict on the bail pleas of five accused, all govt officers, in the Rs 71 crore National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) scam exposed in Dahod. The court heard the applications of former Devgadhbaria taluka development officer (TDO) Darshan Patel, account officers Jayvir Nagori and Mahipal Chauhan, and gram rozgar sevaks (GRSs) Mangal Pateliya and Fulsinh Bariya. The state govt appointed Ahmedabad-based lawyer Amit Nair as the special public prosecutor in this case. Nair argued there was adequate evidence against the five that suggested their proactive role in the scam and causing big losses to the exchequer. In a related development, the investigation officer filed an application seeking cancellation of bail granted to Balwant and Kiran, the two sons of Gujarat's minister for agriculture and panchayat Bachu Khabad. Balwant and Kiran were granted bail, but the former was arrested again on Sunday in another FIR lodged against him. Kiran was arrested on Thursday as soon as he was released on bail. Both are presently in police custody.
