ACB catches PWD consultant with Rs 33 lakh bribe in Jaipur, Jhunjhunu XEN also detained
Rs 70 lakh demanded to exclude farmer’s land from highway project; first installment seized in trap
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Jaipur: The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday night arrested a PWD-linked consultant after catching him red-handed with Rs 33 lakh in bribe money in Jaipur’s Chomu Pulia area. The bureau also detained Jhunjhunu PWD Executive Engineer Rakesh Kumar for questioning in connection with the case.
The operation, led by ACB Additional SP Sandeep Saraswat, targeted Yakoob, a consultant associated with a Social Impact Assessment firm. According to the ACB, Yakoob was allegedly acting as a middleman to channel the bribe money to XEN Rakesh Kumar.
The case centres on a proposed road project between a National Highway and a State Highway in Jhunjhunu district. The complainant’s agricultural land fell within the project’s alignment, and a total bribe of Rs 70 lakh was allegedly demanded to alter the alignment and exclude his field from acquisition. The Rs 33 lakh seized on Friday was reportedly the first installment of this amount.
The ACB said it received a complaint and laid a trap after learning that Yakoob was carrying the bribe money and heading to his village, with the funds ultimately intended for the XEN. Yakoob was intercepted at Chomu Puliya, following which Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Chidawa in Jhunjhunu, was also taken into custody.
Investigators noted that Yakoob’s name appeared in the official SIA gazette notification as a representative of the consultancy firm notified by the PWD department for the social impact assessment process. His role included being the designated contact for objections and suggestions related to land acquisition, which the ACB said makes his involvement particularly significant.
Additional SP Saraswat said Yakoob had introduced the complainant to XEN Rakesh Kumar and had been in regular contact with the engineer. The ACB is now examining whether Yakoob was merely a middleman or played an official role in the process, and whether he can be classified as a public servant under the Prevention of Corruption Act — a determination that could significantly widen the scope of the case.
The investigation is continuing into the roles of the consultancy firm, departmental officials, and others connected to the notification process, with the ACB indicating that more names could emerge.
