Jaipur, September 26: The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested a middleman while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹2 crore in Udaipur on Saturday. The ACB also detained Mukesh Kumar Soni, Additional Superintendent of Police, Special Operations Group (SOG), Udaipur, from his residence in Balotra district after his alleged role came under suspicion.
According to Director General of Police, ACB, Govind Gupta, the action was taken by the ACB Intelligence Unit, Udaipur, following a complaint.
The complaint alleged that ₹2 crore was being demanded through Sajjan Singh Jain alias Tatla, a middleman, on behalf of ASP Mukesh Kumar Soni. The alleged bribe was sought in connection with the much-discussed Case No. 97/2022 involving 272 plots of the Udaipur Municipal Corporation.
According to the complaint, the money was allegedly demanded in return for providing relief to persons previously arrested in the cases, not making them accused in other cases and returning documents recovered from their residences during arrests that had not been formally seized.
The ACB said the alleged demand was verified through conversations, during which the demand for the bribe was confirmed.
₹2 Crore Recovered During Trap
Following the verification, the ACB conducted a trap operation on September 26. Sajjan Singh Jain alias Tatla was arrested while allegedly accepting ₹2 crore from the complainant at the complainant’s factory.
The ACB said the recovered amount included ₹4 lakh in Indian currency notes.
As the role of Mukesh Kumar Soni, Additional SP, SOG, Udaipur, was found suspicious, he was detained from his residence in Balotra district. The ACB said necessary questioning and further proceedings against him are underway.
ACB Investigation Underway
The operation was conducted under the supervision of Dr Rameshwar Singh, Deputy Inspector General of Police, ACB, and under the direction of Gopalswaroop Mewara, Additional Superintendent of Police and holding additional charge of the Bureau Intelligence Unit, Udaipur.
The team was led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Dr Sonu Shekhawat of the ACB Intelligence Unit, Udaipur.
The ACB said further questioning of arrested accused Sajjan Singh Jain and proceedings concerning Mukesh Kumar Soni are continuing under the supervision of Additional Director General of Police Smita Srivastava and Inspector General of Police S. Parimala.
The ACB said a case will be registered under Sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended, and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, followed by further investigation.
The ACB also advised people against falling victim to fraud in the name of ACB proceedings. It said that if a case, preliminary inquiry or other proceeding is registered against any person, they can directly contact the ACB and submit their explanation or side of the matter. The bureau said such explanations are analysed before a decision is taken during the investigation.
The ACB appealed to citizens to report corruption through its 24×7 toll-free number 1064 and WhatsApp helpline 94135-02834.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.