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Who is Kajal Meena? Rajasthan SDM and RAS topper arrested for accepting bribe
Kajal Meena, an IIT graduate, was held by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on April 16, along with two others.
A sub-divisional magistrate in Rajasthan's Karauli was arrested in a corruption case after she was caught accepting a bribe of ₹60,000 through her reader.
Kajal Meena was held by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on April 16, along with two others. Following a complaint against her, Meena was prima facie found involved in an offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, PTI news agency reported.
She was suspended by the department of personnel, which issued the order on Saturday.
Who is Kajal Meena? What is the case against her?
Meena is a 2024 batch Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officer, and a topper in the ST category, according to the PTI report. She was posted as Assistant Collector (Under Training) in Tonk, and then as Sub Divisional Officer, Suhagpura, in Pratapgarh district.
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The accused, her reader Dinesh Kumar Saini and senior assistant Praveen Dhakad, were caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹60,000 for issuing a final decree related to a land dispute.
Meena holds pursued her B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Mandi, and then underwent field training as an IAS probationer as an Assistant Collector in Rajasthan's Tonk. She was posted as Sub Divisional Officer, Suhagpura, in Pratapgarh district, before her posting in Karauli.
According to a report by The Indian Express, when asked about why she wanted to move from a technical field to an administrative one, said that RAS is the state’s premier service, and was considered as prestigious, along with a good salary and benefits. She further said that apart from this, an administrative officer can “use their legitimate authority to bring positive changes in the life of the common people.”
Complainant alleged being ‘harrassed’ by Meena for bribe
The ACB's Sawai Madhopur unit received a complaint from an individual, who alleged being harrassed by Meena through her reader while demanding ₹50,000 as bribe, ACB Director General Govind Gupta told Express.
Gupta said that initially, an amount of ₹1,00,000 had been demanded, but later it was reduced to ₹50,000. The ACB verified the complaint, and thereafter its Sawai Madhopur team laid a trap and caught the accused while accepting ₹60,000 – ₹50,000 for herself, and ₹10,000 for the reader.
Officials also recovered a “suspicious” amount of cash to the tune of ₹4 lakh from a bag carried by the accused, which is under investigation, PTI reported. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act was then registered, and Meena was arrested.
