A Rajasthan sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and her staff have been arrested for alleged bribery in a land dispute case, highlighting the ongoing efforts to combat corruption in the region.
The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), her reader and another administrative staff in Karauli district for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 60,000, officials said on Thursday.
The accused, SDM Kajal Meena, her reader Dinesh Kumar Saini and senior assistant Praveen Dhakad, were caught red-handed in Nadoti town while allegedly taking the bribe for issuing a final decree related to a land dispute.
According to ACB Director General Govind Gupta, a complaint was received alleging that the accused had demanded Rs 50,000 bribe from the complainant, after initially seeking Rs 1 lakh, to process the land decree.
Following verification of the complaint, an ACB team from Sawai Madhopur laid a trap and caught the accused while accepting Rs 60,000 -- Rs 50,000 allegedly for the SDM and Rs 10,000 for the reader.
During the operation, officials also recovered Rs 4 lakh in cash from a bag carried by the accused, which is being treated as suspicious and is under investigation.
The ACB said a case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and further investigation is underway.