Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Rajasthan has registered a graft case against an IPS – then deputy inspector general (DIG) of ACB Vishnukant of taking bribe of Rs 9.5 lakh from a head constable.
Vishnukant, a 2005-batch IPS, who is currently serving as inspector general (IG) home guard has been accused of taking bribe from the head constable Sardar Singh for removing his name from a graft case. Additional SP of ACB Lalit Kishore Sharma was investigating the case and FIR against DIG was registered only after the investigation report.
According to the report, ACB had arrested head constable Sardar Singh and constable Lokesh in 2021 on graft charges against the complaint of one Satyapal Pareek. However it is alleged that DIG Vishnukant removed name of Saradar Singh from the case. Later
the complainant Satyapal Pareek produced evidences before ACB of DIG removing Sardar Singh's name from the case after taking bribe. The state government then silently transferred DIG Vishnukant from ACB.
What came out in the investigation?
In the investigation, it has come out that Pratap Singh, who is brother of accused Sardar Singh, is also a constable in Jaipur commissionerate. Pratap Singh was earlier gunman of Vishnukant when he was posted as DIG in Special Operation Group (SOG). It is alleged that Vishnukant took bribe of Rs 9.5 lakh through Pratap Singh in the name of DG ACB and forwarded the file after removing name of the accused Sardar Singh.
The investigation officer Surendra Kumar Swami submitted his report on February 11, 2022 stating that constable Lokesh Is the accused in the case while no evidence has been found against head constable Sardar Singh. On this DIG Vishnukant sent the file to deputy director prosecution, who recommended that the investigation should be done afresh to find evidences against Sardar Singh as he is rhetorical accused in the case.
Vishnukant, bypassing the recommendation of deputy director prosecution, submitted final report in the court holding constable Lokesh as culprit and exempting Sardar Singh. He recommended departmental action against Sardar Singh.
How the name of IPS came out?
After giving bribe to DIG and getting the assurance of reprieve, both brothers – Pratap Singh and Sardar Singh – recorded conversation which took place between them and DIG Vishnukant on WhatsApp call. Later, the brothers sent the recording to the complainant and said that they have fixed the game with DIG. The complainant submitted around 9-10 audio and video to the ACB regarding the case. But the AC didn't take action against Vishnukant except transferring him from ACB.
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