ED arrests Rajasthan ex-MLA Baljeet Yadav from toll plaza in ‘embezzlement’ case

As an Independent MLA, Yadav had supported the Ashok Gehlot government during the 2020 political crisis.

2 min readJaipurFeb 4, 2026 01:41 PM IST

ED officials arrested Yadav from a toll plaza in Alwar's Shahjahanpur area late on Tuesday. (Credit: Baljeet Yadav X)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested former Independent MLA Baljeet Yadav in connection with the alleged embezzlement of MLA Local Area Development funds during his tenure in the previous Congress government, officials said Wednesday.

ED officials arrested Yadav from a toll plaza in Alwar’s Shahjahanpur area late on Tuesday.

In January last year, the ED had searched about 10 properties linked to Yadav, who was the MLA from Alwar’s Behror between 2018 and 2023, in connection with an alleged scam in the supply of sports goods to Alwar schools in 2021-22. The searches were conducted at Yadav’s properties in Jaipur and elsewhere.

Following an investigation by the ED, Rajasthan’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had in 2024 lodged an FIR against Yadav and four others, proprietors of four firms, for the alleged scam in which sports goods worth Rs 3.72 crore were purchased through Yadav’s MLA funds for 32 government schools in Alwar. However, the tender process was allegedly tweaked to favour the four firms, which were created only for the purpose of the said tenders.

The goods were purchased from the firms at up to 2.5 times their price. During the investigation, it was found that on Yadav’s recommendation as the MLA, Alwar Zila Parishad had issued administrative and financial approvals between May 2021 and January 2022 for purchasing the sports equipment for a total of 32 schools, while Neemrana Panchayat Samiti had acted as the executive agency.

As an Independent MLA, Yadav had supported the Ashok Gehlot government during the 2020 political crisis. However, he had lost the Assembly election in 2023 in a triangular contest, losing to BJP’s Jaswant Singh Yadav but polling more than Congress’s Sanjay Yadav.

Hamza Khan

Hamza Khan is a seasoned Correspondent for The Indian Express, specifically reporting from the diverse and politically dynamic state of Rajasthan. Based in Jaipur, he provides high-authority coverage on the state's governance, legal landscape, and social issues, directly supporting the "Journalism of Courage" ethos of the publication. Expertise Politics & Governance: Comprehensive tracking of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, including policy changes (e.g., the Right to Health Bill and Anti-Mob Lynching Bills), bypoll dynamics, and the shifting power structures between the BJP and Congress. ... Read More

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