In a late-night order, on the 5th of August, the Congress government suspended its own Jaipur Heritage Municipal Corporation Mayor Munesh Gurjar, a day after, her husband Sushil Gurjar was arrested by the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). He was arrested along with two of his accomplices for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 2 lakhs in exchange for issuing a patta (land lease).
The official order added that Munesh Gurjar has also been suspended from her civic body seat, Ward Number 43 in Jaipur’s heritage corporation. This action was taken so that she can not influence the ongoing investigation in this matter.
Rajasthan | Jaipur Heritage Municipal Corporation Mayor Munesh Gurjar suspended by the State Government. Her husband Sushil Gurjar and two others arrested by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) after being caught red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 2 Lakhs. pic.twitter.com/uZiU3Aaa6O
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) August 6, 2023
Hemant Priyadarshy, the Additional Director General (ADG) of the ACB, stated that the ACB had received intel from the Jaipur special investigation wing (SIW). According to the intel, it was alleged that the Mayor’s husband Sushil Gurjar was regularly taking bribes through his middlemen Narayan Singh and Anil Dube for issuing land leases.
When a complainant claimed that Sushil Gurjar and his middlemen were demanding Rs 2 lakhs to expedite the approval of the land lease, they laid a trap and carried out this anti-corruption operation.
Subsequently, the ACB officials raided the residence of Jaipur Heritage Mayor Munesh Gurjar in Adarsh Province on Hatwarda Street. During the raid, they caught her husband, Sushil Gurjar red-handed taking a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from the complainant.
Priyadarshy said, “Based on the complaint, an ACB team on Friday ( 4 August) under the supervision of deputy inspector general of police (DIGP) Randheer Singh laid a trap in which Narayan Singh was caught red-handed while accepting the Rs.2 lakh bribe from the complainer. Sushil Gurjar and Anil Dube were also held for their alleged involvement in the matter.”
The ACB team recovered Rs 40 lakh in cash and the file of the said land lease from the residence of Mayor Munesh Gurjar. Additionally, they also seized Rs 8 lakh in cash from Narayan Singh’s residence. The ACB officials categorically stated and have mentioned this in their official order, that Jaipur Heritage Mayor Munesh Gurjar was present in her home when her husband was caught taking a bribe from the complainant. According to the officials, they are investigating the case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and it is likely that the Mayor was also involved in these corruption deals.
The order stated, “Since the mayor’s husband was caught accepting the bribe at the mayor’s residence while she was present there, and Rs 40 lakh was recovered in cash from the residence, it appears that the mayor was involved and could influence the investigation in the case.”
Troubles mounting for Congress: Red diary, followed by this corruption dealing
The alleged rampant corruption under the Congress government in Rajasthan has become the central issue in state politics following the Red Diary row. Congress had to sack its own Minister Rajendra Guda for targeting the state government for indulging in corrupt deals which he has claimed are extensively covered in the purported red-diary.
Additionally, the opposition party BJP has launched a full-frontal attack against the Ashok Gehlot-led government on the issue of corruption and not coming clear on the issue of Red-diary.
In the wake of these allegations of Corruption, the recent expose of a trench of cash found in the residence of the party’s Mayor Munesh Gurjar has increased troubles for the party. Following the incident, CM Ashok Gehlot defended his government and claimed that the action showed their commitment to tackling corruption. He also highlighted previous cases in which action was taken for alleged corruption deals, however, the arrested included individuals at different ranks and files underscoring that corruption has become all pervasive in the state.
CM Gehlot said, “ACB works like this only in Rajasthan. In other states, they don’t get permission. We have arrested the Collector, Superintendent of Police, members of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission, and now the Mayor’s husband.”
Congress party is being blamed for the recent corruption deal as the Municipal Corporation in Jaipur Heritage has a Congress board. Additionally, it was the Congress government that established two new municipal corporations in Kota and Jaipur in 2019. They cited the large population of these cities as a reason for the creation of two new Municipal corporations, however, the indulgence of its Mayor in corruption which is being claimed stretched for a long period of time is only adding worries to the party, particularly with its own former Minister exposing the extent of corruption.
