Reprieve for Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Sanjivani scam case; HC stays arrest

JAIPUR: Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, embroiled in the Sanjivani Credit Co-operative Society scam, received a reprieve from the High Court on Thursday. The court granted a temporary stay on his arrest related to the case, halting action on FIRs filed by the SOG in Rajasthan.

The SOG had initiated filing FIRs in Jalore, Barmer, and Jodhpur districts in connection with the Sanjivani scam. In response, Shekhawat submitted a petition to the Jodhpur High Court on March 24, calling for a CBI investigation and a stay on his arrest. Previous hearings on March 28 and April 3, presided over by Justices Maneaj Garg and Praveer Bhatnagar, had declined to address the request.

However, in the April 13 hearing, Justice Kuldeep Mathur granted Shekhawat relief by staying the arrest and scheduling a re-hearing in three weeks. Senior advocate Manindra Singh and advocates Yuvraj Singh and Aditya Vikram Singh represented the Union Jal Shakti Minister in the Jodhpur High Court.

Following the court’s decision, Chief Minister Gehlot criticized Shekhawat during a convocation ceremony at the Birla Auditorium in Jaipur. Questioning Shekhawat’s involvement in the case, Gehlot asked why the minister had sought legal protection from arrest if he claimed to be innocent.