Supreme Court lifts pause on Ekal Patta case involving ex-Rajasthan minister

The Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned the Rajasthan High Court order that had paused criminal proceedings against former state Urban Development and Housing (UDH) minister and Congress MLA Shanti Dhariwal, along with three senior bureaucrats, in the high-profile Ekal Patta case.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Suryakant and Justice Ujjval Bhuyan, was hearing a plea, challenging the High Court’s decision to halt these proceedings.
Filed by RTI activist Ashok Pathak, the petition led the top court to direct the High Court to revisit the matter with fresh hearings.
The Supreme Court has also set a six-month deadline for the High Court to reach a resolution in the case.
The Ekal Patta case revolves around allegations of corruption related to a land lease (patta) granted to Ganpati Constructions for a prime property in Jaipur. The controversy implicates several high-level officials, including key figures within the Urban Development and Housing (UDH) department and the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA).
The issue dates back to 2005, when the JDA initially approved the lease for a cooperative society managing the land.
The controversy deepened after reports suggested that the patta was granted to Ganpati Constructions without disclosing an earlier rejection, sparking complaints and subsequent investigations.
Initially, the BJP-led Rajasthan government defended Dhariwal, asserting no corruption was involved in the Ekal Patta case. However, amid widespread public criticism and calls for accountability, the government subsequently revised its stance.
The recent Supreme Court ruling removes the legal barriers previously imposed by the High Court that had stopped ongoing investigations and proceedings against Dhariwal and three other officials: former Additional Chief Secretary GS Sandhu, former Deputy Secretary Nishkam Diwakar, and former Zone Deputy Commissioner Onkarmal Saini.