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The authorities detained Baljeet Yadav at midnight on Tuesday close to the Shahjahanpur toll plaza which lies on the Delhi–Jaipur highway.

The ED at its Jaipur regional office took him into custody after questioning him for extended hours that lasted throughout the night.

The development has sent shockwaves across Rajasthan, especially in Behror, where Yadav has been a well-known political figure.

Yadav built a strong public image over the years by presenting himself as a fighter against corruption.

He frequently drew public attention through his demonstration methods which he used to protest various issues.

He carried out public demonstrations by running for hours at Jaipur’s Central Park to bring attention to youth welfare and corruption problems.

He declared a Rs 51,000 reward for anyone who could expose corruption in his constituency which helped him create an anti-corruption reputation among his supporters.

The ED states that the current case originated from financial activities which occurred during the 2021-22 fiscal year.

The Behror Assembly constituency received funding of Rs 3.72 crore from the MLA LAD fund to purchase badminton and cricket equipment which went to 32 government schools during that fiscal year.

The agency claims that the scheme implementation process encountered serious compliance violations which took place during its execution.

The officials from the ED accused people of creating fake invoices and counterfeit papers to demonstrate that they acquired sports equipment.

The records show that contractors received payment yet the equipment never arrived at the designated schools.

The investigators discovered that the funds were concealed through a series of financial transfers which created a false trail of money movement.

The money laundering investigation starts from an earlier FIR which the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) filed. The ED conducted its financial investigation according to the rules established by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) regulations.

The officials obtained substantial documentary evidence and digital evidence which proved financial misconduct during their investigation.

The ED executed multiple search operations on January 24 2025 which targeted 10 sites associated with Yadav throughout Jaipur Dausa and Bahror.

The authorities took possession of various documents along with electronic equipment during the search operations. The ED used the seized evidence to establish connections between their findings and the banking records.

Baljeet Yadav will appear in a special court where the ED intends to obtain his custody for additional interrogation in order to follow the financial pathway and discover other participants.

The arrest has prompted intense reactions throughout Rajasthan because people did not expect Yadav to be arrested after he had built his reputation as an anti-corruption activist. The investigation has reopened public fund usage questions about how accountability and transparency should operate in managing public resources.