40 Villas, ₹1.8 Crore Rental Income: Rajasthan IAS-IPS Couple Under Corruption Scanner

40 Villas Bought for Rs 6.16 Crore, Rs 1.8 Crore Annual Rent: Rajasthan IAS-IPS Couple Faces ACB Investigation

A major corruption investigation has put a senior IAS-IPS couple in Rajasthan under scrutiny after allegations emerged that their family purchased 40 luxury villas and cottages at two Ananta resorts for Rs 6.16 crore and subsequently leased the properties back to the company that sold them. The arrangement reportedly generated an annual rental income of Rs 1.8 crore.

The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is investigating whether former Additional Chief Secretary Shikhar Agrawal misused his official position to secure favourable business concessions for Goyal Fashions Private Limited, the company operating the Ananta resorts, while helping his family acquire properties at prices allegedly lower than their market value.

The state government has already placed Agrawal under Awaiting Posting Orders (APO). His wife, senior IPS officer Prashakha Mathur, was also shifted to APO on Saturday.

The government has authorised the ACB to conduct a detailed investigation into the allegations, including possible irregularities in property purchases, official approvals and financial benefits extended to the resort company.

ACB alleges official favours to Ananta resort operator
In its statement dated October 30, the ACB said its preliminary inquiry had uncovered prima facie evidence suggesting that Agrawal had allegedly colluded with directors of Goyal Fashions to provide undue benefits to the company, potentially causing substantial financial losses to the state.

The agency is examining decisions taken during Agrawal’s tenures as Udaipur district collector, chairman of the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board and Additional Chief Secretary in the Industries Department.

According to the preliminary findings, the company allegedly received relaxations in construction requirements for its resorts, approvals without proper verification of mandatory certificates and special financial packages on favourable conditions.

The Rajasthan government has granted permission for a detailed probe under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The investigation will cover Agrawal, the company’s directors and other individuals whose roles may emerge during the inquiry.

How the family acquired 40 villas and cottages
The transactions involving the 40 properties took place at two Ananta resorts over approximately two-and-a-half years.

The first purchase was made in September 2023, when the family acquired 20 cottages at the company’s Bujhda resort in Udaipur. In March 2026, another 20 villas were purchased at its Ajabgarh resort in Alwar.

The combined purchase value of the properties was Rs 6.16 crore. However, the ACB is examining whether the properties were sold at prices significantly below their prevailing market rates.

According to the agency’s preliminary findings, Agrawal and Mathur purchased 10 villas each at the Udaipur property for Rs 15 lakh per unit. At the Alwar resort, eight villas were registered in their names at Rs 16.5 lakh each.

Their two sons reportedly acquired four villas each at approximately Rs 15 lakh per unit, while another four properties were registered in the names of Mathur’s parents at around Rs 16.5 lakh each.

Investigators are also examining whether the family’s assets are disproportionate to its known sources of income.

Villas leased back to the same company
One of the key aspects attracting the ACB’s attention is the lease arrangement between the family and Goyal Fashions.

After purchasing the properties, the family entered into registered agreements to lease the cottages and villas back to the same company from which they had bought them.

Under the reported agreements, each cottage at the Udaipur resort was leased for Rs 4 lakh annually, while every villa at the Alwar property carried an annual rent of Rs 5 lakh.

The arrangement was expected to generate Rs 80 lakh annually from the 20 Udaipur cottages and Rs 1 crore from the 20 Alwar villas.

This brought the combined annual rental income to Rs 1.8 crore, according to the preliminary findings.

The ACB has also highlighted the timing of a financial concession granted to Goyal Fashions. A special concessional financial package was reportedly issued on March 27, 2026, the same day Agrawal allegedly registered 20 villas at the Alwar resort.

Investigators are examining whether the timing and circumstances of these transactions indicate a connection between official decisions and the family’s property acquisitions.

Property declarations raise further questions
The investigation has also brought the officers’ annual property declarations under scrutiny.

According to the reported records, Shikhar Agrawal’s property return, submitted on January 7, 2026, mentioned 14 properties. Prashakha Mathur’s declaration, filed a day later, reportedly showed no property holdings.

However, the 40 properties under investigation were registered across the names of the couple, their two sons and Mathur’s parents.

Mathur reportedly completed the property registration formalities on behalf of her sons using a power of attorney.

The ACB will examine whether all relevant assets and financial interests were properly disclosed and whether the funds used for the purchases can be explained through the family’s known sources of income.

What will the investigation examine?
The detailed probe will focus on several aspects of the transactions and the officers’ official conduct, including:

• Whether Agrawal misused his government position to extend benefits to Goyal Fashions.
• Whether the resort company received approvals and financial concessions through irregular procedures.
• Whether the 40 properties were purchased below their actual market value.
• Whether the funds used for the acquisitions were consistent with the family’s declared sources of income.
• Whether the property declarations submitted by the officers accurately reflected their assets.
• The investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the property purchases, lease agreements and alleged official favours. The allegations remain under investigation, and the findings of the detailed ACB probe will determine whether further legal action is warranted.