Rajasthan’s Anti-Corruption Bureau on Sunday mentioned it arrested first-time MLA Jaikrishn Patel, 37, for allegedly accepting a Rs 20-lakh bribe in lieu of withdrawing Meeting questions on mining. The ACB mentioned that is the primary occasion of it arresting an MLA within the state.
ACB Director Normal Ravi Prakash Meharda instructed journalists that Patel, the Bharat Adivasi Celebration (BAP) MLA from Bagidora in Banswara district, and intermediary Vijay Kumar Patel have been caught “red-handed” on the MLA quarters in Jaipur whereas accepting the bribe. Nonetheless, simply earlier than he was nabbed, the MLA managed at hand over the cash to an aide who escaped, Meharda mentioned.
Based on the ACB Director Normal, complainant Ravindra Kumar alleged that the MLA was accusing him of unlawful mining, pressuring him by itemizing questions on mining within the Meeting, and demanding cash to withdraw the questions. “The complainant has mines and the three questions put up by the MLA are additionally associated to mines, regardless that the complainant’s mines are tons of of kilometres away from the MLA’s constituency,” the DG mentioned.
The mines in query are in Todabhim, about 600 kilometres from Banswara, and are owned by Kumar and his father, BJP chief Ramniwas Meena. Within the 2023 Meeting election, Ramniwas had unsuccessfully contested from Todabhim, shedding to Congress’s Ghanshyam Mahar.
Negotiations between the MLA and the complainant had began with Rs 10 crore, however ultimately got here right down to Rs 2.5 crore, Meharda mentioned. The plan to entice the MLA has been underway for a month and the primary instalment of Rs 1 lakh was given to him earlier in Banswara — the ACB had recorded the incident — and the second instalment of Rs 20 lakh was being given on Sunday when the MLA was arrested, the ACB mentioned.
Based on the DG, an ACB workforce beneath the supervision of Deputy Inspector Normal Rahul Katakey verified the claims and executed the entice. Whereas the MLA’s aide managed to flee, there’s “sufficient and clear” proof to nab the MLA, the DG mentioned. He defined that when the MLA’s palms have been washed, the water modified color, proving that he had dealt with the chemical-laced forex notes.
Patel was elected from Banswara district’s Bagidora Meeting seat, reserved for tribals, in a bypoll final yr, defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of over 51,000 votes.
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After Patel’s arrest, BAP MP Rajkumar Roat urged a conspiracy: “You may see for your self the style wherein the BAP has rapidly grown within the area and made tall leaders sit at house. So, it’s pure that they’ll conspire. Why did that individual agree to present away Rs 2.5 crore? He’s additionally part of the conspiracy.”
“I’m not saying that the MLA is harmless,” Roat added. He mentioned the celebration’s core committee would maintain a gathering and take heed to the MLA earlier than deciding on a plan of action.
The ACB DG mentioned that because the matter involved an MLA, Meeting Speaker Vasudev Devnani was briefed earlier than the entice was set and Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, who can be the Dwelling Minister, was knowledgeable.
The Bagidora bypoll was necessitated final yr after Congress heavyweight and four-term MLA from the seat, Mahendra Jeet Singh Malviya, resigned from his put up and joined the BJP.
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Together with Patel, BAP at present has 4 MLAs and one MP, Rajkumar Roat, who was elected in alliance with the INDIA bloc final yr.
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