Did Rajasthan ACB Arrest Officer Over Rs 20,000 Bribe?
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Jaipur, Jan 27 (NationPress) Following directives from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Headquarters, the Bundi ACB unit executed a successful trap operation on Tuesday, apprehending Devraj Meena, a Progress Extension Officer at Hindoli Panchayat Samiti in Bundi district, in the act of accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000.
According to Govind Gupta, the Director General of Police for the ACB, a complaint had been lodged at the Bundi ACB outpost, alleging that Devraj Meena, in collusion with Piyush Kumar Jain, a Development Officer from the same Panchayat Samiti, was soliciting Rs 35,000 from the complainant for an inspection of Badgaon Gram Panchayat.
During the operation, Devraj Meena was caught in the act of receiving Rs 20,000 as part of the requested bribe, allegedly on behalf of Piyush Kumar Jain. The money was discovered in the rack of the table located in front of the officer's chair in his office.
Piyush Kumar Jain managed to escape from his office upon noticing the trap. Under the guidance of Shri Satyendra Kumar, Inspector General of Police at ACB, further questioning of the detained officer is ongoing.
A case will be filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and investigations are currently underway. The ACB has reiterated its pledge to combat corruption and has encouraged the public to report any instances of bribery.
Previously, on the Friday prior, the ACB Intelligence Unit in Udaipur had submitted a charge sheet against Rajendra Prasad, the then Duty Officer of the Excise Police Station in Salumber, linked to a bribery case.
Rajendra Prasad was found to have exploited his official position by demanding a monthly bribe of Rs 2,000 from the complainant, amounting to Rs 6,000 over a period from January to March 2023, for allowing the complainant’s daughter’s licensed liquor shop to operate without interference.
A trap operation conducted on March 31, 2023, resulted in the accused accepting the bribe. Following this, Case No. 73/2023 was registered against him.
After the investigation, allegations against Rajendra Prasad were confirmed, and prosecution approval was secured from the Excise Commissioner of the Excise Department, Rajasthan, in Udaipur.
As violations under Sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act (1988, amended in 2018) and Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code were substantiated, the ACB Intelligence Unit, Udaipur, filed the charge sheet today before the Hon’ble Special Judge for the Prevention of Corruption Act in Court No. 01, Udaipur.