Jaipur, May 05: Rajasthan’s Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested first-time MLA Jaikrishn Patel, 37, for allegedly accepting a Rs 20-lakh bribe in lieu of withdrawing Assembly questions on mining.
The ACB said this is the first instance of it arresting an MLA in the state.
ACB Director General Ravi Prakash Meharda told Media that Patel, the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) MLA from Bagidora in Banswara district, and middleman Vijay Kumar Patel were caught “red-handed” at the MLA quarters in Jaipur while accepting the bribe.
However, just before he was nabbed, the MLA managed to hand over the money to an aide who escaped, Meharda said.
The plan to trap the MLA has been underway for a month and the first 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 said.
It explained that when the MLA’s hands were washed, the water changed colour, proving that he had handled the chemical-laced currency notes.
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