Rajasthan: Tehsildar, junior assistant and broker arrested while accepting bribe

Jaipur, Aug 12 (IANS) Acting on the instructions of ACB Headquarters, the ACB Outpost SU-I, Jaipur, conducted a trap operation on Wednesday in Viratnagar in the Kotputli-Behror district of Rajasthan.

One Sanjay Kumar, Tehsildar/Sub-Registrar, Viratnagar, District Kotputli-Behror; Devilal, Junior Assistant, Office of the Sub-Registrar, Viratnagar; and Ashok, a private individual/broker, were arrested red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 55,000 in exchange for handing over a registered deed to the complainant.

Govind Gupta, Director General, Anti-Corruption Bureau, stated that the complainant lodged a complaint with ACB Outpost SU-I, Jaipur, on August 11. The complainant had purchased 0.0742 hectares of agricultural land in Amloda for Rs 1,46,000 on May 26, 2026, and the deed was registered at the Sub-Registrar’s Office, Viratnagar.

The complainant had deposited Rs 13,931 towards registration and stamp duty, and all necessary registration formalities had been completed.

According to the complaint, despite there being no dispute, outstanding registration fees, stay order or other impediment concerning the land, Sanjay Kumar, Tehsildar/Sub-Registrar, and Devilal, Junior Assistant, at the Viratnagar Sub-Registrar’s Office, allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 60,000 for handing over the registered deed.

Following the complaint, the bribe demand was verified on Tuesday. During the verification, the accused Junior Assistant, Devilal, allegedly demanded Rs 60,000. When the complainant offered Rs 10,000, the accused insisted that the entire amount be paid in one lump sum.

Subsequently, the complainant requested Sanjay Kumar, Tehsildar/Sub-Registrar, to reduce the amount. After consulting Junior Assistant Devilal, the accused Tehsildar allegedly fixed the bribe amount at Rs 55,000. Following verification of the demand, a trap operation was conducted on Wednesday under the supervision of ACB Deputy Inspector General of Police, Dr Rameshwar Singh, and the leadership of Additional Superintendent of Police, Prashant Kaushik, with Deputy Superintendent of Police, Archana Meena, executing the operation.

During the operation, the accused Junior Assistant, Devilal, allegedly accepted Rs 55,000 from the complainant and placed the money in his pocket. Shortly thereafter, Devilal summoned the private individual, Ashok, and handed the bribe money over to him. Ashok then placed the money in his own pocket.

The bribe amount was subsequently recovered during the trap operation. Prima facie, it was found that the complainant’s work was pending with the accused persons.

Interrogation of the accused and further proceedings are underway under the supervision of ACB Additional Director General of Police, Smita Srivastava, and Inspector General of Police, S. Parimala.

The ACB will register a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and conduct further investigation into the matter.

–IANS

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