3 more accused, including BJP leader, arrested in ₹123 crore ‘Nal Se Jal’ scam in Mahisagar

The CID Crime has arrested three more accused, including a BJP leader, in connection with the ₹123 crore Nal Se Jal scam in Mahisagar district. With these latest arrests, the total number of accused arrested in the case has reached around 40. The arrests have intensified the investigation into one of the biggest corruption cases linked to a government water supply scheme in the district.

The newly arrested accused have been identified as contractor Mukesh Patel, Hemendrasinh Solanki, and Subhash Chandra Patel. Among them, Mukesh Patel is a BJP director in the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC). His arrest has created a stir in political and cooperative circles, as he was involved in several government-funded development projects.

According to investigators, Mukesh Patel carried out work under the Nal Se Jal scheme in 14 villages of Lunawada and Santrampur talukas. During the investigation, officials found several irregularities in the projects. Authorities claim that government funds worth ₹1.78 crore linked to his work are yet to be recovered.

The second accused, Hemendrasinh Solanki, was responsible for projects in seven villages of the district. Officials said that irregularities were also found in the works executed by him. So far, around ₹60 lakh has been recovered in connection with his projects, while further investigation is underway.

The third accused, Subhash Chandra Revabhai Patel, is associated with SR Construction, a firm that has handled several government contracts. Investigators said that the government is yet to recover ₹2.46 crore from him. Officials believe that examining other projects carried out by his company could reveal more financial irregularities.

The scam came to light after a detailed review of the scheme's implementation in Mahisagar district. Based on the findings, a senior official of the Water and Sanitation Management Organisation (WASMO) filed a complaint with CID Crime on June 22, 2025. The complaint named 12 government employees and 111 private agencies for their alleged involvement in the scam.

The Nal Se Jal scheme was launched to provide safe drinking water to every household in rural areas. However, the investigation found that in several villages, contractors allegedly carried out poor quality work, failed to complete projects, or submitted false bills for work that was never done. These actions reportedly resulted in a major loss to government funds. However, CID Crime officials have stated that the investigation is progressing rapidly and more arrests are expected in the coming days.