Top JCTSL officer among 2 in ACB net for taking bribe

Jaipur: The special investigation unit (SIU) of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Saturday arrested a 2006-batch RAS officer who was posted as officer on special duty (OSD) with Jaipur City Transport Services Limited (JCTSL), an assistant accounts officer and owner of a private travel company for allegedly accepting and giving a bribe of Rs 4 lakh. The bribe money was paid for having smooth business of the newly procured buses by the JCTSL.

The arrest came just hours after UDH minister Shanti Dhariwal flagged off 50 mini-buses procured by the JCTSL. ACB has seized nearly Rs 7 lakh and documents of properties worth crores of rupees from the house of the JCTSL (OSD) Virendra Verma.

“We have been getting specific inputs that Verma has been receiving bribe from various bus company owners with a promise to provide them full cooperation from his side. It was a promise of ensuring proper maintenance and cleaning of the buses and also for the timely release of subsidy to these owners,” said director general B L Soni.

Some hours after the new buses were flagged off the officer Virendra Verma invited one Naresh Singhal owner of a travel company and one Mahesh Goyal, assistant accounts officer at his residence. Thereafter, Naresh paid Rs 4 lakh as bribe and a basket full of fruits. Our team raided the spot and arrested both who were accepting the bribe and the one who was giving it,” said Dinesh MN, additional director general, ACB.

A team led by Bajrang Singh, additional SP, ACB was thereafter into the search operation at the house of Verma. “We have so far seized Rs 7 lakh and registration papers of properties worth over crores of rupees from the house of Verma,” Singh added.

Box –

Govt had denied prosecution sanction against Verma

ACB had investigated a case of corruption, misuse of office against Virendra Verma in 2011. During the investigation, it was a clear case for prosecution. However, the state government turned down the request of ACB for prosecution sanction. The case was related to irregularities by Verma while he worked as planning officer with NAREGA in Pratapgarh.

Verma is a Youtuber with 1k subscribers

Virendra Verma is very fond of singing and has opened a Youtube channel with nearly 1,000 subscribers