2 RAS officers caught in Dausa for taking bribe
A MIDDLEMAN, WHO DEMANDED A BRIBE OF ₹38 LAKH ON BEHALF OF A FORMER DAUSA SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE WAS ALSO CAUGHT BY THE BUREAU
JAIPUR: The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday arrested Bandikui sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Pinky Meena and Dausa SDM Puskar Mittal for accepting a bribe of ₹5 lakh and ₹10 lakh respectively from a contractor, a senior official said.
The bureau also nabbed a middleman, Neeraj Meena, who was allegedly demanding a bribe of ₹38 lakh on behalf of a former Dausa superintendent of police (SP).
Meena and Mittal are Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) officers.
“The Jaipur rural unit of ACB after verifying a complaint trapped both the SDMS and the middlemen,” said BL Soni, director general (DG), ACB.
A construction company owner, who had got a contract of the Delhi-mumbai Express Highway under the Bharatmala Project, had complained to the bureau against the accused.
“The accused SDMS demanded bribe in lieu of helping the contractor in land acquisition for road construction and not obstructing the construction work. When the contractor refused, the SDMS started harassing him,” added Soni.
Soni said that Neeraj Meena, the middlemen, was demanding money from the complainant on behalf of a former Dausa SP in lieu of settling a case registered against him and a fixed monthly of bribe of ₹4 lakh.
ACB officials said that houses of both the accused officers were being searched and documents available with them were being analysed. The accused were being questioned behind closed doors. Other officials and employees involved in the bribery chain are also being traced, they said.
Meanwhile, many employees of the Dausa collectorate went missing after the SDM was caught taking bribe. The office wore a deserted look, said the officials.