Rajasthan MLA Arrested in Historic Bribery Case

The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Bharat Adivasi Party MLA Jaikrishn Patel for allegedly accepting a Rs 20 lakh bribe to drop assembly questions. The ACB claims to have evidence against Patel, and there's speculation about political motives from both the BJP and Congress.

In an unprecedented move, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Rajasthan arrested Bharat Adivasi Party MLA Jaikrishn Patel on Sunday, accused of accepting a Rs 20 lakh bribe to forgo three assembly questions. This marks the first time an MLA has been detained in a graft case in the state's history, according to ACB's Director General Ravi Prakash Meharda.

The 38-year-old MLA represents Banswara district's Bagidora constituency and reportedly demanded Rs 10 crore initially. The settlement was for Rs 2.5 crore, with the arrest made on premises in Jaipur. Despite the MLA's handoff of cash to an unidentified accomplice who escaped, the ACB claims to possess audio and visual proof of the transaction.

Political reverberations followed, with Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) promising action if Patel's guilt is confirmed, while Congress's Sachin Pilot criticized the alleged misuse of central agencies as political tools. As the case unfolds, it further accentuates national tensions surrounding legal and political ethics.

(With inputs from agencies.)