The Rajasthan state government has placed IPS officer Prashakha Mathur on awaiting posting orders (APO) following a widening investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) into alleged financial irregularities. Mathur, who had been serving as the Additional Director General of Police for planning, modernisation, and welfare since October 2025, was removed from her position as the probe into her family’s property acquisitions intensifies.
This administrative action comes just days after her husband, senior IAS officer Shikhar Agarwal, was similarly placed on APO on October 29. Agarwal, a 1993-batch Rajasthan-cadre officer, was stripped of all official posts following allegations that he leveraged his position to provide undue benefits to Goyal Fashions Pvt Ltd, a company that operates resorts under the Ananta brand.
The state government officially approved a comprehensive ACB investigation into the matter on Friday. The inquiry is being conducted under Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which covers allegations of misuse of official power for personal gain. According to the ACB, the investigation was initiated after the bureau reviewed a factual report from the state industries department, a newspaper report from October 27, and intelligence gathered through confidential sources.
Investigators are focusing on allegations of criminal collusion between Agarwal and the directors of the resort company. The ACB release suggests that the company allegedly received preferential treatment, including unauthorized relaxations regarding resort construction norms and the granting of approvals without the mandatory verification of necessary certificates. Additionally, the bureau is scrutinizing a special financial package allegedly extended to the firm.
A significant portion of the investigation centers on the acquisition of 36 villas at Ananta resorts in Udaipur and Alwar. The ACB alleges that the purchases were made at prices substantially lower than prevailing market rates. Records cited by the bureau indicate that in March 2026, Shikhar Agarwal and Prashakha Mathur allegedly purchased 10 villas each at the Ananta resort in Bujhda, Udaipur, for approximately ₹15 lakh per unit.
Further transactions are under review at the Ajabgarh resort in Alwar, where the couple allegedly bought eight villas in their own names at ₹16.5 lakh each. The investigation also encompasses purchases involving their family members, with four villas reportedly bought in the names of their two sons for roughly ₹15 lakh each, and another four villas acquired by Agarwal's in-laws for approximately ₹16.5 lakh apiece.
The ACB is currently examining the timeline of these registrations in conjunction with the timing of specific government financial packages. As the inquiry continues, the placement of both officers on APO effectively removes them from their respective administrative and police duties while the state authorities determine the extent of the alleged impropriety. The government has not provided a timeline for the conclusion of the ACB probe, but the removal of both high-ranking officials marks a significant development in the state's efforts to address the corruption allegations.
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