Jaipur, May 5 The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday recovered Rs 20 lakh in bribe money linked to Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) MLA Jaikrishna Patel, who represents the Bagidaura constituency in Banswara district.
The legislator had allegedly handed over the money to his nephew, who later involved relatives in an attempt to conceal the cash.
An official said that the bribe amount was initially passed from Patel to his nephew Rohit, who then involved a relative named Jaswant.
“Rohit left the MLA’s residence with the cash, which was then handed over to Jaswant with instructions to hide it. Jaswant, in turn, gave the money to another associate, Jagram, instructing him to conceal it as a property deal had not been finalised,” the official said.
He said that the ACB team, tracking the suspects through mobile surveillance, detained Jaswant and questioned him for over two hours.
“He eventually revealed that the money had been buried at Jagram's residence in Indira Gandhi Nagar, Jaipur. The ACB team recovered the cash, which had been buried underground by the two men,” the official said.
On May 4, when the ACB team first reached Patel’s residence, one person had fled with the money. Subsequent investigation and surveillance led to the eventual recovery. MLA Jaikrishna Patel was produced in an ACB court.
The court granted a two-day remand for both Patel and his cousin. “I am being framed. I have done nothing wrong,” Patel told reporters after the court hearing. He was then taken to the ACB headquarters for further questioning.
The ACB has also seized CCTV footage from Patel's official quarters. The footage and server room are set to be examined by forensic experts from the FSL to trace the movement and involvement of all parties.
The ACB ensured due diligence during the operation, including pre-marking Rs 500 notes from the same series, totalling Rs 20 lakh, retrieved from the bank with the complainant’s assistance. This allowed the ACB to verify and trace the movement of the bribe money accurately.
Reacting to the incident, former Udaipur MP Raghuvir Singh Meena condemned the MLA's actions.
“This is a shameful act. Regardless of party affiliation, such incidents tarnish the image of politics. A first-time MLA being caught in a bribery case reflects poorly on the system,” Meena said.
He added, “When someone suddenly gains power and wealth, they often lose their sense of responsibility. Politics, society, and our region have been disgraced by this act. The law must take its course, and punishment should match the seriousness of the offence.”
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