Latest news with #RajasthanAnti-CorruptionBureau
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
ACB files chargesheet against MLA, others in cash-for-no-query scandal
Jaipur: Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) filed a chargesheet Wednesday against Jaikrishn Patel, who represents the Bagidora constituency in Banswara district, and three others. They were arrested on May 4 in a first-of-its-kind 'cash-for-no-query' scandal in the state. ACB has kept the investigation pending against Rohitash Meena, the personal assistant of the MLA, as he is on the run since the trap in which the legislator was allegedly caught accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh in the parking lot of the MLA quarters near the state assembly building. ACB prosecutor Shalini Gautam said the chargesheet has retained the sections of Prevention of Corruption Act under which Patel and others were charged in the FIR filed after the trap operation. The CCTV footage, recording of the incident in which he was caught negotiating with the ACB complainant, philetrapic power, and other forensic evidence have been presented. According to ACB officials, Rohitash Meena handed over the money to his uncle, Laxman Meena alias Jaswant, who was arrested on May 5. During sustained interrogation, Laxman disclosed that he passed on the cash to an acquaintance, Jagaram Meena. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gold Is Surging in 2025 — Smart Traders Are Already In IC Markets Learn More Undo Mistaking the bag for proceeds from a failed land deal, Jagaram buried it in the lawn and poured water over it to cover up the stash. Patel, 37, a first-time legislator from the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP), was accused of demanding Rs 2.5 crore from a Karauli-based miner, Ravindra Kumar Meena, the son of BJP leader Ram Niwas Meena, who unsuccessfully contested the 2023 Rajasthan assembly elections from Todabhim. Patel allegedly demanded the bribe in exchange for not raising questions in the state assembly about mining activities in the Todabhim-Karauli belt—located nearly 700 km from his own constituency. The amount was later negotiated down to Rs 2 crore. The ACB has booked five accused in the case under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Sections 61(2) and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. According to the FIR, the bribe negotiations began on March 22, when Rohit Meena called the complainant to meet at Indira Gandhi Nagar. During the meeting, Meena mentioned "2.5," which the complainant initially believed meant Rs 2.5 lakh. However, Patel later clarified that the demand was actually Rs 2.5 crore. In the last week of April, the complainant paid Rs 1 lakh to Patel, which helped the ACB verify the complaint and prepare for a trap. On May 4, Patel and another accused, Vicky, reportedly discussed, inspected, and accepted Rs 20 lakh in cash from the complainant at the MLA's official residence. The money was later handed over in the parking area and concealed, a sequence that the FIR says has been prima facie established. ACB stated that Patel abused his public office to obtain illegal gratification, amounting to offences under the amended Prevention of Corruption Act and the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
CCTV captures MLA Patel with bag of cash before aide escapes
1 2 3 4 Jaipur: In what is being described as significant evidence in the 'cash-for-no-query' bribery case, the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has obtained CCTV footage allegedly showing BAP MLA Jaikrishn Patel handing over bribe money to his cousin Vikky, alias Vijay Patel, in the parking lot of the MLA flats near the state assembly in Jyoti Nagar. Vikky is seen passing the bag to Rohit Meena , Patel's personal assistant, who is currently absconding. The footage then shows Rohit placing the bag in the trunk of a scooter registered in his wife's later recovered the same bag from a nullah near CBI Phatak. The GPS device inside was found to be non-functional. Officials said the inner lining of the bag had turned red due to a phenolphthalein-based powder mixed with the cash before Rohit removed ACB team led by additional SP Sandeep Saraswat, who is heading the investigation, seized the CCTV footage from the server room of an MLA apartment building opposite the state assembly Wednesday. Operation Sindoor PM Modi meets NSA, chiefs of armed forces amid spike in tensions with Pak India's air defence systems shoot down Pak drones in J&K, Punjab & Rajasthan Several airports in India to be closed till May 15 - check list "We had to bring in experts from Delhi-based company that installed the CCTVs to retrieve the footage, as the process was highly technical and challenging," said a senior ACB added that the footage clearly shows the MLA handing a bag containing Rs 20 lakh to his cousin Vikky, who then passed it to Rohit Meena. Rohit is seen leaving on a scooty, and after travelling some distance, he removed the cash and threw the bag into the nullah near CBI officer said that the GPS device stopped transmitting signals at the nullah location, prompting ACB teams to search the area since the trap was laid on May 4. The bag was finally located Friday and sent for forensic examination, which confirmed the presence of chemical powder. Two other accused—Jaswant, alias Laxman Meena, and Jagaram—who allegedly collected the bribe money from Rohit Meena and helped hide it, were produced in court and sent to judicial custody. Patel and Vikky are already in judicial custody, while ACB teams continue to raid multiple locations in search of Rohit Meena. Rohit allegedly fled with Rs 83,000 after handing over Rs 19.17 lakh from the Rs 20 lakh bribe to his maternal uncle Jaswant. The ACB earlier recovered the Rs 19.17 lakh, which was interrogation, Jaswant reportedly told ACB that Rohit had contacts with several legislators. Patel is accused of demanding Rs 2.5 crore from Ravindra Kumar, a mine operator in Karauli, in exchange for withdrawing an assembly question related to alleged mining violations in Dhawan village, Todabhim tehsil. The final amount was allegedly settled at Rs 2 crore, with the agreement that the money would be paid in instalments. Patel was arrested on May 4 while allegedly accepting the bribe.
