Jaipur, Jul 2 (PTI) Rajasthan’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday recovered Rs 2.63 lakh in unaccounted cash from two Agriculture Department officials after intercepting their vehicle on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway.
It is alleged that the money was collected from fertiliser and pesticide manufacturing units during inspections.
The action was carried out by the ACB’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) near Shahpura in the district after the bureau received inputs that a team of Agriculture Department officials visiting industrial units in the Bhiwadi industrial area was allegedly collecting money by threatening action during inspections.
ACB Director General Govind Gupta said the bureau received credible information that officials from
Jaipur were inspecting fertiliser and pesticide manufacturing units and allegedly obtaining money from them by creating fear of regulatory action.
Acting on the inputs, a special team was constituted. It intercepted the officials’ vehicle on the highway and searched its occupants.
During the search, Rs 1,48,500 was recovered from the bag of Agriculture Officer Mahesh Kumar Meena and Rs 1,15,000 from the bag of Agriculture Officer Chanda Ram Gurjar.
Agriculture Officer Bhagwan Sahay Yadav and department driver Ramesh Chandra Meena, who were also travelling in the vehicle, were also searched.
The total unaccounted cash recovered from the vehicle was Rs 2,63,500, the ACB DG said.
The officials could not satisfactorily explain the source of the cash on the spot, and the bureau is investigating whether the amount was collected illegally from industrial units during the inspection drive, the DG said. PTI SDA RHL
