Jaipur:
The Rajasthan authorities in a late evening order has suspended Jaipur Heritage Municipal Company Mayor Munesh Gurjar, whose husband Sushil Gurjar was yesterday arrested by the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau for allegedly taking Rs 2 lakh as a bribe in alternate for issuing a land lease. Ms Gurjar has additionally been suspended from her civic physique seat — Ward Quantity 43 in Jaipur’s heritage company.
For the reason that mayor’s husband was caught accepting the bribe on the mayor’s residence, whereas she was current there, and Rs 40 lakh was recovered in money from the residence, it seems that the mayor was concerned, and will affect the investigation within the case, the order mentioned.
The ACB has arrested two others, together with Sushil Gurjar, and can query them over two days. A case has been filed beneath the Prevention of Corruption Act and additional investigations are underway.
A criticism with the police claimed that Sushil Gurjar, via his aides – Narayan Singh and Anil Dubey, had been demanding ₹ 2 lakh from the complainant to expedite the approval of a lease software for a plot. Officers laid a entice primarily based on the criticism and arrested them.
Throughout a search of Sushil Gurjar’s house, officers recovered over Rs 40 lakh in money. Over Rs 8 lakh in money was recovered from Narayan Singh’s house. A counting machine was introduced in from the financial institution to rely the notes.
This embarrassment for the Congress comes quickly after the “Purple Diary” row, with the grand outdated get together combating with its again in opposition to the wall in an election yr.
The BJP has attacked the Congress, saying it is a authorities of loot and jhooth (lies) and the chief minister has bandages on his eyes, not his toes. Mr Gehlot is nursing a foot damage.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had hit again, saying the truth that the state’s anti corruption bureau arrested the mayor’s husband is in itself a sign that the federal government is severe about cracking down on corruption.
“ACB works like this solely in Rajasthan. In different states, they do not get permission. We’ve arrested Collector, Superintendent of Police and members of Rajasthan Public Service Fee, and now the Mayor’s husband,” he mentioned.
Ministers from Mr Gehlot’s cupboard too seemed to be distancing themselves from the mayor.
The Municipal Company Jaipur Heritage has a Congress board. In June, Munesh Gurjar and some different Congress councillors protested in opposition to the then commissioner of the company and accused him of corruption. They’d additionally staged a dharna within the company headquarters demanding motion in opposition to the officer.
In 2019, the Congress authorities created two municipal companies in cities like Kota and Jaipur, saying the inhabitants was too giant. Politically, it was seen as a transfer by the ruling get together to loosen the BJP’s grip on cities and municipal companies which were their conventional vote financial institution.
Jaipur’s heritage metropolis and Larger Jaipur have two mayors, Munesh Gurjar from the Congress and Soumya Gurjar from the BJP. Satirically, each have been within the information for the flawed causes, with allegations of corruption levelled at each their husbands.
