ACB Recovers 263500 Rupees From Agriculture Department Officials Vehicle In Jaipur

In a major crackdown against corruption, the Jaipur AIU unit of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted a successful operation on Thursday, July 2, at the Shahpura Pulia on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway. Acting on specific instructions from the ACB Headquarters, the team intercepted a Tata Safari vehicle and recovered a total of 263500 rupees in suspicious cash. The vehicle was carrying officials from the Agriculture Department who are now under investigation for allegedly collecting bribes and illegal extortion from industrial units.

Details of the ACB Operation

The operation was initiated following credible information received by the Anti Corruption Bureau. Director General of ACB, Govind Gupta, stated that the bureau had received reports regarding a team of Agriculture Department officials from Jaipur who were conducting inspections of fertilizer and pesticide manufacturing units located in the Bhiwadi-Kotputli industrial area. It was alleged that these officials were using the fear of inspection and legal action to extort illegal funds from the owners of these industrial units. Based on this intelligence, a strategic trap was laid to intercept the officials while they were returning.

Interception and Recovery of Cash

Under the direction of Deputy Inspector General of Police-I, Dr. Rameshwar Singh, a special team was formed. This team was led by Additional Superintendent of Police Shri Mahaveer Singh of the Special Investigation Unit. The team maintained a strict vigil at the Shahpura Pulia on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway. When the suspected Tata Safari vehicle reached the spot, it was signaled to stop. A thorough and formal search of the vehicle, the officials, and the driver was conducted by the ACB team. During the search, the team discovered two bags containing a significant amount of cash for which the officials couldn't provide a satisfactory explanation.

Breakdown of the Seized Amount

The search led to the recovery of 263500 rupees in total from the bags of the officials. Specifically, the ACB team found 148500 rupees in the bag belonging to Agriculture Officer Mahesh Kumar Meena. On top of that, 115000 rupees were recovered from the bag of another Agriculture Officer, Chanda Ram Gujjar. The presence of such a large amount of cash with government officials returning from field inspections raised serious suspicions of bribery. The ACB has categorized this recovery as suspicious cash likely obtained through illegal means.

Individuals Involved and Ongoing Investigation

At the time of the interception, there were other individuals present in the Tata Safari vehicle. These included Agriculture Officer Bhagwan Sahay Yadav and the department's driver, Ramesh Chandra Meena. Following the standard legal procedure, a search was also conducted for these individuals. The ACB is currently conducting an intensive interrogation and research into the source of the recovered cash and the specific roles played by each official in the alleged extortion from industrial units. The entire investigation is being carried out under the guidance of Additional Director General of Police Smita Srivastava and Inspector General of Police S. Parimala. Further legal proceedings and detailed investigations are currently underway to uncover the full extent of the corruption network.