New Delhi [India], June 28 (ANI): Congress leader Rashid Alvi on Saturday questioned the arrest of party leaders and father-son duo Hira Jotva and Digvijay Jotva regarding an alleged MGNREGA scam. Alvi said that while action should be taken if a scam really took place, one cannot discount the possibility that they might be being pressured to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

'If there is any such scam, then action must be taken against them. However, we cannot trust the governments of Gujarat and India. There is a possibility that he is being pressured to join BJP. The court will decide what is right and wrong,' Alvi told ANI here.

Earlier on Saturday, police arrested three accused, including Gujarat Congress Vice President Hira Jotva and son Digvijay Jotva, in an alleged MGNREGA scam. Bharuch Superintendent of Police (SP) Mayur Chawda said that the arrest was made after a survey of 11 villages revealed that the government's money was siphoned off.

'As soon as a doubt arose about an illicit practice in MGNREGA, Bharuch DDO started a primary investigation in 56 villages. They surveyed 11 villages and found that government money has been siphoned off. They complained to the police and registered a complaint regarding forged documents, siphoning government money illegally, and conspiracy,' SP Chawda told reporters.

He added that the 60:40 ratio of the material used as specified in MGNREGA was not maintained. 'An SIT was formed, supervised by Dy SP. An investigation was done, and the team visited the site where the work was not done well. It was found that the material used does not match the bills attached; secondly, the 60:40 ratio was not maintained. The proprietors of Jalaram and Murlidhar agencies are on the run, whose details we collected and found that a lot more people, apart from these agencies, are involved,' he said.

Further, he told the reporters that Hira Jotva was running the agencies under someone else's name, and the money was transferred to his relative's account. (ANI)