Rajasthan official arrested for taking money for visas, home ministry orders inquiry
Initial investigation indicated that PK Mishra had accepted bribes from around 3,000 Pakistani migrants in 2017.
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday ordered an inquiry after the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested an official for allegedly extorting money from Hindu migrants from Pakistan, The Hindu reported.
Anti-Corruption Bureau officials laid a trap to arrest senior secretariat assistant PK Mishra and three of his associates in a Jodhpur hotel on Monday. A ministry spokesperson said they have sought a report from the Rajasthan Police and are interrogating the accused to ascertain if there are more officials involved.
The Special Court (Anti-Corruption Cases) in Jodhpur has remanded the four accused. The three other accused, identified as Govind, Ashok and Bhagwan Ram, said they were migrants from Pakistan who had secured Indian citizenship.
Superintendent of Police (ACB-Jodhpur) Ajaypal Lamba said an initial investigation indicated that Mishra had accepted bribes from around 3,000 Pakistani migrants in 2017. “His usual practice was to halt action on the applications and approve them only after receiving a bribe through his agents,” Lamba said.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau is looking for a Rajasthan Home Department employee identified as Kundan Lal and have included his name in the First Information Report.
Seemant Lok Sangathan President Hindu Singh Sodha has demanded that Jodhpur’s Foreigner Regional Registration Office be also placed under the scanner.