Jaipur, October 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Rajasthan government has placed senior IAS officer Shikhar Agrawal on Awaiting Posting Orders (APO) amid questions over the purchase and subsequent leasing of 40 villa-cottages involving an expenditure of approximately ₹6.16 crore.
The state Personnel Department issued the order late Wednesday night, citing administrative reasons. The move comes amid allegations concerning property transactions involving a private company over a period of around two-and-a-half years.
The properties comprise 20 villas in Ajabgarh in Alwar district and 20 cottages in Bujra in Udaipur district. According to the details reported, the properties were subsequently leased to the same company.
The annual lease amounts were reportedly fixed at ₹5 lakh per villa in Ajabgarh and ₹4 lakh per cottage in Bujra, translating into total annual lease payments of around ₹2 crore.
Agrawal has held senior positions in the Rajasthan administration, including Additional Chief Secretary in the Industries and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Department, and has been associated with industrial development and investment promotion.
Separately, IPS officer Pankaj Chaudhary has levelled additional allegations against Agrawal, calling for an investigation into business dealings linked to his tenure in key government positions.
Chaudhary alleged that Agrawal held a 50 per cent stake in a major resort project being developed by a private group at Karjat near Mumbai. He described the proposed development as comprising around 400 rooms and involving investments worth billions of rupees. These claims have not been independently established.
Chaudhary also alleged that certain companies secured major deals during Agrawal’s tenure in positions associated with the Rajasthan Chief Minister’s Office and the Industries Department. He called for scrutiny of the transactions and the circumstances in which the deals were finalised.
The allegations and calls for a probe remain distinct from the government’s stated reason for placing Agrawal on APO, which was described as administrative.
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