Who is Rajasthan IAS-IPS couple under lens over 40 resort villas and Rs 1.8 crore rent?
New Delhi: A senior IAS officer in Rajasthan and his family are facing a probe by the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) after buying 40 villas and cottages across two luxury resorts for Rs 6.16 crore over a period of two-and-a-half years.
Shikhar Agrawal, a former Additional Chief Secretary in the Industries Department, along with his family, allegedly leased these properties back to the seller, earning around Rs 1.8 crore each year in rent. Following the allegations, the state government placed Agrawal under Awaiting Posting Orders (APO), and his wife, senior IPS officer Prashakha Mathur, was also placed under APO on Saturday.
The ACB has now received sanction from the state government under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act to initiate a detailed investigation into whether Agrawal abused his official position to grant undue favours to Goyal Fashions Private Limited, the firm running the Ananta brand of resorts.
Preliminary findings point to collusion and concessions
In a statement issued on October 30, the ACB said its preliminary inquiry had found prima facie evidence that Shikhar Agrawal colluded with directors of Goyal Fashions to secure undue benefits for the company and cause substantial financial loss to the state.
The agency stated that these favours occurred across several postings held by Agrawal, including his stints as Udaipur district collector, chairman of the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, and Additional Chief Secretary in the Industries Department. Investigators noted that the firm received concessions in resort construction norms, clearances without mandatory certificate checks, and customised financial packages on favourable terms.
The acquisitions took place at two Ananta properties. In September 2023, the family bought 20 cottages at Bujhda in Udaipur, followed by 20 villas at Ajabgarh in Alwar in March 2026. The ACB’s initial findings suggest the units were acquired well below prevailing market rates. Agrawal and Mathur reportedly bought 10 villas each in Udaipur at Rs 15 lakh per unit. In Alwar, eight villas were registered in their names at Rs 16.5 lakh each, while their two sons bought four villas each at Rs 15 lakh, and four were registered under Mathur’s parents at Rs 16.5 lakh apiece.
Leaseback agreements and discrepancies in disclosures
After the purchases, the family signed registered lease agreements with Goyal Fashions itself. Each Udaipur cottage was rented back to the firm for ₹4 lakh per year, while the Alwar villas fetched Rs 5 lakh each annually, bringing in a total yearly rental income of Rs 1.8 crore.
Investigators also flagged a key timeline overlap: the special concessional financial package for Goyal Fashions was sanctioned on March 27, 2026, the exact day 20 villas at the Alwar resort were registered.
The matter has further escalated over the couple’s annual property returns. Agrawal listed 14 properties in his filing on January 7, 2026, while Mathur declared no property in her filing made a day later, despite registrations being carried out in their names, their sons’ names of attorney, and her parents’ names. The ACB is now verifying the funding sources and probing whether disproportionate assets were accumulated.