In a major operation against corruption, the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) team from Jaipur caught a Senior Head Constable of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹13 lakh in Sikar. The accused, identified as Uttam Pandey, is posted at the ED office in Chandigarh. The arrest took place at a hotel near Kalyan Circle in Sikar city following a formal complaint by the victim.
Background of the Investigation
According to ACB officials, the case pertains to an ongoing investigation by the Chandigarh ED involving a company named QFX and a suspect identified as Mohammad Shakeel. The investigation is being headed by ED Assistant Director Atul Gupta, while uttam Pandey had traveled to Sikar to serve summons related to this case. During this process, he contacted the complainant and allegedly threatened to name him as an accused in the case unless a bribe was paid.
Negotiation and Bribery Demand
The ACB investigation revealed that the accused initially demanded a bribe of ₹20 lakh from the complainant. After several rounds of negotiations, the amount was reduced to ₹18 lakh and finally settled at ₹15 lakh. The complainant approached the ACB on December 30, reporting the extortion attempt. Following the report, the ACB initiated a verification process to confirm the bribery demand before executing the trap.
The ACB Trap Operation
The operation was conducted under the leadership of ACB DSP Vijay Singh and supervised by DIG Anil Kayal. After the bribery demand was verified through recorded mobile and WhatsApp conversations, a trap was laid at the Ashoka Hotel near Kalyan Circle, while as soon as Uttam Pandey accepted the ₹13 lakh installment from the complainant, the ACB team moved in and apprehended him with the marked currency notes.
Evidence Collection and Legal Action
The ACB has seized the bribe money and relevant technical evidence, including recordings of four to five conversations between the accused and the complainant's family. Officials stated that the crime has been established based on the recovery and the verification process. The accused is currently in custody, and further investigation is underway to determine if other individuals within the department were involved in the conspiracy.