Jaipur, Feb 4 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested former Behror MLA Baljeet Yadav in connection with alleged misuse of MLA Local Area Development (LAD) funds amounting to Rs 3.72 crore.

Yadav was taken into custody late Tuesday night near the Shahjahanpur toll plaza on the Delhiâ??Jaipur highway and was formally arrested by the Jaipur regional unit of the ED after prolonged overnight questioning.

Yadav, a well-known figure in Rajasthan politics, is often recognised for staging unconventional protests.

He had earlier projected himself as an anti-corruption crusader and drawn public attention by running continuously for hours in Jaipur's Central Park to raise issues related to youth welfare and corruption.

He had also announced a reward of Rs 51,000 for anyone who exposed corruption in his constituency.

According to the ED, the case dates back to the financial year 2021â??22, when Rs 3.72 crore was sanctioned from the MLA fund for the purchase of badminton and cricket kits for 32 government schools in the Bahror Assembly constituency.

The investigation alleges that large-scale irregularities were committed in the execution of the scheme.

ED officials claimed that fake bills and forged documents were prepared in the name of purchasing sports kits.

It is further alleged that while payments were released to contractors, the kits were never supplied to the concerned schools.

The agency also suspects that the funds were siphoned off and laundered through multiple transactions. The ED's probe is based on an FIR registered earlier by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Acting under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the agency conducted extensive investigations, during which it claims to have gathered substantial documentary and digital evidence pointing towards money laundering.

On January 24, 2025, the ED carried out simultaneous search operations at 10 locations linked to Yadav in Jaipur, Dausa, and Bahror.

Several important documents and electronic devices were seized during the raids.

According to ED sources, the arrest was made after correlating the seized material with bank transaction records.

Yadav will be produced before a special court, where the ED is expected to seek his remand for further questioning.

The arrest has sparked strong reactions in Behror and across Rajasthan, given Yadav's public image as a vocal opponent of corruption.

/IANS