The Rajasthan High Court has provided interim relief to Pinky Meena, a suspended RAS officer, by halting her suspension order related to a bribery case associated with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway project. The court, led by Justice Sudesh Bansal, compared her case to that of another accused officer, Pushkar Mittal, whose suspension was also stayed earlier due to lack of specific reasons for the suspension. Pinky Meena has been under suspension since January 15, 2021, with the court emphasizing the need for parity in treatment.
Advocates Vipul Singhvi and Adesh Arora, representing Pinky Meena, argued that the prolonged suspension, lasting over five years, was akin to punishment rather than a temporary measure as intended by service laws. They contended that with the completion of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigation, filing of chargesheet, and prosecution sanction by the state government, the need for continued suspension was unjustified. The case stems from alleged bribery incidents during the construction of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan’s Dausa district, involving demands for bribes by local administrative officials.
The ACB investigation revealed complaints from project representatives about officials seeking bribes to facilitate land acquisition and construction processes for the expressway. Pinky Meena, then SDM of Bandikui, was arrested on January 13, 2021, for allegedly soliciting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh, while Pushkar Mittal, then SDM of Dausa, faced arrest for allegedly demanding Rs 5 lakh. Pinky Meena’s arrest, notably close to her wedding, had garnered attention, leading to her temporary release by the High Court for marriage ceremonies before surrendering. Following the investigation’s completion and prosecution sanction, the ACB submitted the challan in court against the accused officers.
