In a major set back to Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officer Bharat Bhushan Goyal, Supreme Court has stayed a decision of High Court, which had quashed the FIR registered against him in a graft case. A bench of
A bench of Justices MM Sundaresh and Satish Chandra Sharma stayed the High Court decision while hearing a petition filed by complainant Sanjay Kumawat. At the same time, the court has issued notice to the accused and the state government and sought a response.
Bharat Bhushan Goyal, a 2015 batch RAS officer promoted from tehsildar service was caught taking bribe of Rs 3.5 lakh against the total demand of Rs 37.5 lakh in 2016 while serving as SDM Shahpura. He was under suspension from April 2016 to June 2019. Later he was reinstated and now serving as deputy director women empowerment department, Jaipur.
Goyal had filed a writ petition in High Court, which had quashed the FIR against him in May this year.
The complainant Sanjay Kumawat challenged the decision of High Court in Supreme Court pleading that the decision of High Court will send a wrong message in the society.
What was the case?
RAS officer Bharat Bhushan was posted as Shahpura SDM in 2016. He demanded Rs 37 lakh from the complainant Sanjay Kumawat to change the land use of 25 bigha land. The complainant is said to have signed an MoU with Rajasthan government during Resurgent Rajasthan summit and was setting up a plant.
The accused Goyal was demanding Rs 25 lakh for himself, Ra 12.5 lakh for Circle Officer RPS Vijay Meena. A middleman Shankar Agrawal was demanding Rs 5 lakh for coordinating this deal.
Sanjay Kumawat filed a complaint with ACB regarding this. Following which a trap was laid and the accused SDM was apprehended while accepting the bribe in his apartment here.
Vivek Shukla is a management graduate who has worked in corporate worked for 20 years and is now pursuing his passion — news.
