CCTV captures Rajasthan MLA Jaikrishn Patel handing bribe bag before aide escapes

JAIPUR: In what is being described as significant evidence in the ‘cash-for-no-query' bribery case, the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has obtained CCTV footage allegedly showing BAP MLA Jaikrishn Patel handing over bribe money to his cousin Vikky, alias Vijay Patel, in the parking lot of the MLA flats near the state assembly in Jyoti Nagar. Vikky is seen passing the bag to Rohit Meena, Patel's personal assistant, who is currently absconding. The footage then shows Rohit placing the bag in the trunk of a scooter registered in his wife's name.ACB later recovered the same bag from a nullah near CBI Phatak. The GPS device inside was found to be non-functional. Officials said the inner lining of the bag had turned red due to a phenolphthalein-based powder mixed with the cash before Rohit removed it.An ACB team led by additional SP Sandeep Saraswat, who is heading the investigation, seized the CCTV footage from the server room of an MLA apartment building opposite the state assembly Wednesday. "We had to bring in experts from Delhi-based company that installed the CCTVs to retrieve the footage, as the process was highly technical and challenging," said a senior ACB officer.He added that the footage clearly shows the MLA handing a bag containing Rs 20 lakh to his cousin Vikky, who then passed it to Rohit Meena. Rohit is seen leaving on a scooty, and after travelling some distance, he removed the cash and threw the bag into the nullah near CBI Phatak.The officer said that the GPS device stopped transmitting signals at the nullah location, prompting ACB teams to search the area since the trap was laid on May 4. The bag was finally located Friday and sent for forensic examination, which confirmed the presence of chemical powder.Two other accused—Jaswant, alias Laxman Meena, and Jagaram—who allegedly collected the bribe money from Rohit Meena and helped hide it, were produced in court and sent to judicial custody. Patel and Vikky are already in judicial custody, while ACB teams continue to raid multiple locations in search of Rohit Meena. Rohit allegedly fled with Rs 83,000 after handing over Rs 19.17 lakh from the Rs 20 lakh bribe to his maternal uncle Jaswant.The ACB earlier recovered the Rs 19.17 lakh, which was buried.During interrogation, Jaswant reportedly told ACB that Rohit had contacts with several legislators. Patel is accused of demanding Rs 2.5 crore from Ravindra Kumar, a mine operator in Karauli, in exchange for withdrawing an assembly question related to alleged mining violations in Dhawan village, Todabhim tehsil. The final amount was allegedly settled at Rs 2 crore, with the agreement that the money would be paid in instalments.Patel was arrested on May 4 while allegedly accepting the bribe.