A day after assistant superintendent of police (ASP) within the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Surendra Sharma, was detained by the company for allegedly taking bribe from mining mafias, ACB officers have put one other inspector from the company below scanner together with round 50 different authorities workers.
For representational functions solely. (HT File Picture)
“An inspector from the Sawai Madhopur ACB unit is also under our radar. He had also been threatening other department officials and taking bribes along with Sharma to protect the illegal mines operations in the area. However, we are yet to gather more evidence against him,” a senior official acquainted with the matter stated.
He additional stated, “Around 50 other department officials from Sawai Madhopur are also under our radar who have colluded with these ACB officers and paid them bribes.”
Sharma was amongst three individuals who have been detained by the ACB on Monday evening, together with two of his middlemen, for allegedly taking bribe from mining mafias in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur, officers stated.
“The action was taken based on a tip-off received from our internal sources that the ASP, identified as Surendra Sharma, had been taking a monthly bribe from local illegal mine owners through Ramraj Meena and Pradeep Pareek aka Bunty. The agency conducted raids at six locations across the state and recovered bribe money amounting to about ₹13 lakh. The accused were also detained for questioning,” ACB director common Ravi Prakash Meharda stated.
Sharma was appointed within the Sawai Madhopur’s ACB unit as an ASP in 2022 and had reportedly been taking bribes since then.
In keeping with the officer, ASP Sharma additionally threatened officers from native departments of mines, forest, and transport asking for bribes.
“We first tapped Ramraj and put his phone on surveillance. We then recorded his conversation with ASP Sharma and Pradeep,” the police official stated.
Sharma was initially additionally shifted to ACB headquarters in Jaipur on Might 6. “However, he continued to take bribes despite the transfer. Eventually, we detained him along with his two middlemen. Further probe is underway,” Meharda added.