Former Dausa SP sent to 2-day police remand
JAIPUR: IPS officer and former Dausa superintendent of police (SP) Manish Agarwal, who was arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday, was produced before an ACB court in Jaipur on Wednesday, a senior official said.
The court sent the accused to police remand for two days, said Bhagwan Lal Soni, director general, ACB. “We will quiz him for two days to obtain details related to the case,” he added.
ACB officials said that role of Agarwal’s family members is also under the scanner.
“One family member of Agarwal was also in touch with a middleman, who has been arrested. The family member used to demand money from the subordinates of Agarwal when he was posted in Dausa in lieu of transfers and other professional favours. We are obtaining the call records of the particular family member,” said an ACB official familiar with the development of the case.
The anti-graft agency officials claim that they have enough evidence against the accused IPS officer and two state services officer and one of his middlemen, who were arrested on January 14, to prove that they colluded to extort money.
“Sub-divisional magistrates (SDMS) Pinky Meena (Bandikui) and Pushkar Mittal (Dausa), Neeraj Meena, alleged middleman of the then Dausa superintendent of police (SP) Manish Agarwal, and the IPS officer targeted the complainant with mutual consent to extort money.
On December 23, the SP had issued an order to all the SHOS of the district to submit a factual report on pits dig in their area,” said another ACB official.
The official added some chats from the mobile phone and locations of Mittal also proves that they were working in an organised manner to extort money.
An IPS officer has been arrested in Rajasthan by the ACB after six years. In 2014, IPS officer Satyaveer Singh was arrested by the ACB on charges of graft.
KOTA: The art, literature, culture and archeology department will charge ₹5,000 to ₹15,000 for wedding shoots at famous monuments and museums in Rajasthan, the department officials said.
Rajasthan is known for its beautiful archeological, architectural and tourism locales.
Prakash Chandra Sharma, director, art, literature, culture and archeology department, said, “While ₹5000 for 2 hours will be charged for pre and post wedding shoots during office hours, ₹15,000 per hour will be charged during pre and post office hours.”
The list of the monuments where such shoot will be allowed include Albert Hall, Hawa Mahal, Nahargarh, Vidhyadhar Garden, Siodiya Garden and other Museums of the department, said Sharma.
The orders have been issued through gazette notification after amendment in the Rajasthan Monuments Arch sites and Act Rules 1968.
He said that earlier only still photography was allowed at such monuments and museums but now interested people will be able to shoot pre and post wedding shoots by paying fees.
BARMER: Unknown accused have siphoned off ₹74.95 lakh from State Bank of India’s ATMS in Barmer district, police said.
The issue came to light on January 5, but the bank authorities approached police on February 3, said Prem Prakash, circle inspector at city police station in Barmer.
Prakash told HT that the branch manager, Sujeet Jha, approached them with a complaint in the matter on Wednesday. In the complaint, Jha mentioned that unknown accused siphoned off ₹74.95 lakh from 28 ATMS of SBI bank in Barmer city between November 22 to January 5.
Jha refused to comment on the issues saying that he was not authorised for it.
KOTA: The state wildlife department is waiting for the nod of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for shifting the lone tigress in Mukundra Hills Tiger reserve (MHTR) of Kota from “24 hectares of soft enclosure into bigger enclosure of 80 square km”.
After the death of two tigers and a tigress and its two cubs last year, MHTR is left with only tigress MT-4 in the soft enclosure of MHTR. MT-4 was also found to be injured and ailing in third week of September and later recovered successfully.
Wildlife department is keen to shift MT-4 into bigger enclosure.
Talking on the issue, chief wildlife warden of Rajasthan, Mohanlal Meena said, “After the death of tigers and recovery of tigress MT-4 in MHTR, teams of NTCA had visited the park for taking decision regarding future course of action regarding shifting of the tigress into bigger enclosure”.
Before giving any decision, NTCA had given some observations regarding MHTR where it has suggested to remove all kinds of enclosures and fencing from the MHTR, he said.
“We have written a letter to the NTCA last month for shifting of MT-4 into the bigger enclosure and also that the enclosures have been put up to develop congenital habitat at MHTR in 4-5 years, which can be removed once habitat is improved for Tigers at MHTR,” he said. “We are waiting for the nod of NTCA for shifting of MT-4. So, once such approval is received then shifting can be done,” he said.
Regarding health of the tigress, Meena said that the tigress is “hale and hearty” after being treated in past months for injury in front paw and soft tissue muscle injury on left shoulder.
About the need of shifting MT-4 into bigger enclosure, deputy conservator of forest Biju Joy said the tiger is a free moving animal, so it cannot be kept in smaller area of soft enclosure for long time.
JODHPUR: Expressing concern over the shortage of staff in national parks and sanctuaries, the Rajasthan High Court has asked the state government to give details of the sanctioned and vacant posts in the forest department.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Dinesh Mehta, while hearing a PIL filed by petitioner Rituraj Singh Rathore, said that appropriate steps need to be taken for the conservation of wildlife. The petition stated that the Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary and Raoli -Todgarh Sanctuary are having booming populations of wildlife as forest staff regularly have to rescue pythons and other animals who wander into human settlements nearby. The wildlife sanctuaries are having a good number of wildlife animals including Sambhars, Leopards, Sloth Bears, etc.
“The rescue vehicles at range level are not available and the same are taken from headquarters as and when required. The rescue staff at Sanctuaries have also not been provided with proper rescue apparels/clothing, helmet, etc. In absence of which they carry the rescue operations with grave threat and risk to their life,” Rathore said.
“Wild animals are very violent and powerful. During a recent rescue operation of a sloth bear at Sendra.. it was able to break the iron cage easily,” he added.