An ACB designated court in Ajmer acquitted all 14 policemen, including an IPS officer Rajesh Meena, in a 2013 case of monthly extortion.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau had in January 2013 arrested the then Ajmer Superintendent of Police Rajesh Meena, along with alleged middleman Ramdev Thathera, for allegedly extorting money from the Station House Officer under his jurisdiction.
After the decision, the relaxed Rajesh Meena, who is currently serving as Inspector General of Police (Security) said that case was completely farce and there was no base in allegations.“I always knew that we will get justice from honourable court. However we had to go through mental agony for all these years,” said Meena.
Apart from Meena and the middleman, ACB had also arrested the then additional SP, Lokesh Sonwal, inspectors Khan Mohammad, Sanjay Sharma, Hanuman Singh, Kishal Ram, Pramod Swami, Gopal Lal, Banshi Lal, Jaipal, Ravindra Yadav, and Ashok Vishnoi, who all were the SHOs of different police stations, and Hemant Jain, a civilian.
“The ACB had made a fake case. The charge sheet was presented against the police officers but legal evidence could not be produced. Therefore, the court has acquitted all 14 accused today,” Umardan Singh, the counsel for four of the accused, said.
Singh said the ACB raided the residence of then SP Rajesh Meena based on source information. However, the prosecution could not give the source information in writing.
Transcripts of phone calls did not come as legal evidence and no such evidence was produced, which could establish that there was any kind of financial transaction.
The ACB had after arresting Meena alleged that he used to take monthly ‘bandhi' or extortion money from SHOs through a civilian named Ramdev.
The ACB had also allegedly recovered more than Rs 2 lakh from the possession of Ramdev who was sitting with Rajesh Meena at the latter's residence in Ajmer at the time of the raid.
In the court, Ramdev in his defence said he was carrying the cash for a temple's construction.
Who is Rajesh Meena?
Rajesh Meena is a 2002-batch IPS officer, promoted from state police service. He is a one of the youngest promotee IPS who served as SP in two districts Jalore and Ajmer where he was caught by ACB. Meena was suspended for almost two years before he rejoined as SP CID (Security). He is scheduled to retire in November 2027.
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