MP: Co-op Deputy Commissioner Caught Red-Handed Accepting ₹1.15 Lakh Bribe

Shajapur (Madhya Pradesh): In a significant breakthrough, the Lokayukta police apprehended RC Jariya, the deputy commissioner of the cooperative societies in Shajapur while accepting a bribe amounting to Rs 1,15,000.

The illicit transaction took place within Jariya's office premises at Shajapur Fort complex. The bribe, allegedly solicited by Jariya from the district committees, was pegged at a rate of Re 1 per quintal of wheat procured from farmers across the state at support prices through cooperative societies. This malpractice came to light following mounting grievances from five cooperative societies within the Shajapur district, prompting them to file a formal complaint with the Lokayukta police in Ujjain.

Responding to the complaint, the Lokayukta devised a plan, centering on the covert recording of conversations between the complainant, identified as Haridas Vaishnav, the manager of the Dastak Hedi Committee, and Jariya. The operation culminated in Jariya's apprehension while he was in the process of receiving the bribe amounting to Rs 1.15 lakh from Vaishnav.

Lokayukta DSP Rajesh Pathak disclosed that the managers of the five committees in Shajapur district had been subjected to demands of bribery at Re 1 per quintal, levied by deputy cooperative commissioner Jariya in exchange for facilitating the procurement of government wheat at support prices. Legal proceedings have since been initiated against Jariya under the Prevention of Corruption Act, with the case now actively under investigation by the Lokayukta police.