Bharat Adivasi Party MLA Jaykrishna Patel, once a prominent figure in the fight against corruption, has been arrested in a bribery case by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Patel, a member of the Tribal Party of India, had previously been seen protesting against corruption in the Rajasthan Assembly. However, he now faces serious allegations after being caught accepting a bribe, marking a dramatic reversal in his political career. Patel, who had consistently blamed mining mafias for illegal mining and accused the government of providing them protection, was caught on tape demanding and receiving a bribe. The ACB's investigation revealed phone recordings of Patel and his associates discussing the bribery, with a ₹20 lakh payment taking place on Sunday, May 4.
This exchange was secretly recorded by a hidden camera in the basement of the MLA’s residence in Jaipur. Patel was seen counting the cash, before handing it over to his cousin, Vijay, and another person. When the ACB raided his residence shortly after the exchange, no cash was found. However, upon inspecting Patel's hands, they discovered traces of color dye on the currency, leading to his arrest. This solid evidence convinced the ACB of Patel's involvement in the bribery.
The sequence of events began at 10:16 AM when Patel received the cash in his vehicle. After counting it, he handed the money to his cousin, Vijay, who then left with the cash. Patel returned to his room, and by 10:30 AM, the ACB raided his residence, just 14 minutes after the bribe was exchanged. The ACB had been tracking Patel's phone records based on complaints filed against him. During their investigation, they uncovered recordings where Patel threatened to raise the issue in the Rajasthan Assembly if his demands were not met. Initially asking for ₹10 crore, Patel later agreed to a bribe amount of ₹2.5 crore, with ₹20 lakh paid as the first installment.