Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot urges Union Minister Shekhawat to withdraw defamation case, seeks justice for Sanjivani scam victims

Jaipur: The Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam has once again stirred political controversy in Rajasthan.

Former Chief Minister abnd veteran Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, while speaking to the media in Jodhpur on Friday, reignited the issue by urging Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to withdraw the defamation case filed against him and instead focus on securing justice for the scam’s victims.

“If Shekhawat is truly innocent, he should come forward for dialogue, sit with the affected people and the Sangharsh Samiti, and work toward resolving their problems,” Gehlot said.

The former Chief Minister emphasised that the intention was not to target anyone personally, but to bring relief to those who were cheated.

Gehlot noted that Shekhawat, who has served multiple terms as a Member of Parliament and is currently a Union Minister, should be open to discussion.

“If he is proven innocent, I would be happy. My only concern is justice for the victims,” he said.

He added that documents accessed during his tenure as the Chief Minister mentioned the names of Shekhawat’s family members, based on which the defamation case was filed in Delhi.

“Fifteen hearings have taken place so far. I appeal to him to withdraw the case and focus on helping the victims,” Gehlot said.

The former Chief Minister also proposed that Shekhawat engage directly with members of the victims’ committee.

“Call five to 10 affected people, hear their allegations and grievances — this is the only way to a solution,” Gehlot urged.

The Sanjivani scam, estimated at more than Rs 950 crore, originated in Barmer in 2008.

The cooperative society expanded rapidly, opening 237 branches across Rajasthan and Gujarat, and lured nearly 1.5 lakh people with promises of high returns and foreign trips.

Many investors were turned into agents and incentivised with commissions, leading to a multi-layered chain system that collapsed into a massive fraud.

Investigations revealed that the cooperative society disbursed loans to mostly bogus borrowers, recording loan amounts of up to Rs 1100 crore.

The alleged mastermind, Vikram Singh, has been arrested by the Special Operations Group.

While Unon Minister Shekhawat’s name surfaced during the probe, he has consistently denied any involvement.

Union Minister Shekhawat filed a defamation suit against Gehlot, accusing him of dragging him and his late mother’s name into the scam.

Reacting to the defamation suit, Gehlot said that he welcomed the legal proceedings as they would bring greater public attention to the scam.

He also claimed that 80 per cent of the victims cheated from the scam were from the Rajput community and expressed emotional concern for their plight.

IANS