ACB may summon Udaipur addl SP in bribery probe

Jaipur: A day after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested a middleman red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 3.5 lakh in Udaipur, agency sources Wednesday said additional SP Hitesh Mehta, who heads the Special Investigation Unit for Crimes Against Women (SIUCAW), may soon be called in for questioning.

On Tuesday, the ACB nabbed Shanti Lal Soni (42), a resident of Dhamana Road in Kapasan, Chittorgarh, for allegedly demanding and collecting the bribe on behalf of Mehta. Officials said Soni was caught with the money during a trap operation in Udaipur.

According to the sources, Soni facilitated contact between the complainant and Mehta, during which a deal was struck for Rs 3 lakh. Mehta allegedly assured the complainant that he would help in recovering an outstanding payment from the buyer of a BMW car and expedite the other procedures in the related case. When the payment was delayed by 15 days, the bribe demand increased by another Rs 50,000, taking the total to Rs 3.5 lakh.

Frustrated by repeated pressure for money, the complainant approached the ACB headquarters in Jaipur. The allegations were verified, and the agency formed a team. The trap was executed on Tuesday afternoon. Officials noted that Mehta, as head of the women's unit, had no jurisdiction in general crime cases but was still allegedly involved in the matter.

ACB officials said Soni admitted during questioning that Mehta allegedly directed him to collect the bribe to facilitate the recovery of the car payment. The complainant, a used-car dealer, sold a BMW, but the buyer withheld some money. After he filed a case at a police station in Udaipur, Soni allegedly demanded money to ensure the money was paid and the charge sheet expedited.

Officials said a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered, and Mehta's role is under scrutiny.