Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned Agrasain Gehlot, elder brother of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, for questioning in the fertilizer scam case.

According to ED top sources, the agency has asked Agrasain Gehlot to appear before them within 24 hours. Last week, the Financial Investigation Agency conducted searches at 13 locations including residential and official premises of Gehlot and others in Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Delhi.

The case was registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 under the complaint of the Customs Department and a charge sheet in the alleged fertilizer scam case. According to ED officials Anupam Krishi, a company owned by Agrasian Gehlot, was involved in Muriate’s export of potash (MoP) fertilizer, which is banned for export.

MoP is imported by the Indian Potash Limited (IPL) and distributed among the farmers at discounted rates.

According to officials, Agrasian Gehlot was an authorized dealer for the IPL and between 2007-09, his company bought MoP at discounted rates and sold it to some other companies instead of distributing it to farmers, who in turn sold it to Malaysia and Singapore Exported Industrial salt barricade.

The BJP raised this issue in 2017. The discovery comes against the backdrop of a political crisis in Rajasthan following the revolt by the then Deputy Chief Minister and PCC President Sachin Pilot, who was dismissed from these posts on 14 July. The case was disclosed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in 2012-13.