Rajasthan: ACB traps record 211 ‘tainted’ IAS, RAS & other govt officials this year

JAIPUR: From IAS officers to clerks and from RPS officers to inspectors, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) spared none who were demanding bribe.
The ACB trapped many public servants in the first six months of this year. With 211 traps, the ACB brought to fore the corrupt practices allegedly by the Baran collector to SDMs in Dausa district among other cases.

TOI on Saturday spoke to the authorities to know what led them to have maximum number of traps this year so far compared to 2019 and 2020.
“First, we have developed a mechanism to make ourselves accessible to everyone. On our helpline, we are getting hundreds of calls everyday to which our officers verify. After complainants directly approach us, we laid traps,” said B L Soni, director general of ACB.
On the number of traps this year so far, he said, “We have trapped 211 public servants for accepting bribe, including the district collector, Baran, two officers posted as SDMs. Even we had trapped a sub-inspector of Mumbai police, Dausa’s SP, a deputy superintendent of police posted at ACB Sawai Madhopur, an OSD with JSTSL and many others. In June, we had the highest ever traps which were 67.”
ACB officials stated that in many of these cases, chargesheets have been filed while in some of the cases chargesheets are awaited. “We have collected proofs in order to ensure that nobody gets bail in corruption cases,” he added.
Also in majority of the cases, the disposal was done on time by the senior officers of the ACB. “In many cases, my investigating officers approached me to show the evidences they have and other things before going for filing FIRs or further filing chargesheets. In majority of the cases, we have ended the pendency and have completed the disposal of the cases,” Soni added.
Senior officers of the ACB further stated that in some of the cases ACB managed to convert the regular trap cases in Disproportionate Assets cases. “DA cases in Prevention of Corruption Act are very difficult as you need lot of documentary evidences. However, in this year so far we could register 11 DA cases,” said a senior officer of ACB while quoting the figures.