HCS Officer Meenakshi Dahiya's Peon Caught in Rs 1 Lakh Bribery Sting

In a shocking turn of events, the Haryana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has uncovered a bribery scandal involving a senior bureaucrat, her peon, and a two-wheeler. Meenakshi Dahiya, a 2013 batch Haryana Civil Service (HCS) officer, is alleged to have sent her peon-cum-watchman on a scooter registered in her name to collect a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a District Fisheries Officer. 

The case came to light on May 29 when the peon, Satinder Singh, was caught red-handed accepting the bribe. During interrogation, Singh revealed that despite being an employee of the Urban Local Bodies Department, he was working at Dahiya's residence. He claimed that Dahiya, who was posted in the ULBD in 2020, had instructed him to collect the money from District Fisheries Officer Rajan Khora for some official work.

The plot thickened as the ACB also arrested Joginder Singh, a stenographer attached to Dahiya, for allegedly acting as a middleman in the bribery case. The involvement of her office staff has raised serious questions about the extent of corruption within the department.

The complainant, Rajan Khora, has provided a detailed account of the events leading to the bribe demand. He alleged that he was unfairly chargesheeted by his department in 2022 as part of a conspiracy to promote his junior. However, the Fisheries Minister ordered the chargesheet to be dropped this year after an inquiry exonerated him. 

Following this, Dahiya, currently serving as Joint Secretary in the department, reportedly summoned Khora to her Chandigarh office in April through her stenographer and demanded Rs 1 lakh to issue orders dropping the chargesheet. Khora claims to have recorded conversations with Dahiya and Satinder Singh as evidence.

The case took a dramatic turn when Dahiya failed to respond to ACB notices requesting her to join the investigation. She has been reportedly absconding since May 29, the day her peon was caught. Adding to her legal troubles, a Panchkula court dismissed her anticipatory bail application on Friday, leaving her vulnerable to arrest.

This incident has sent shockwaves through Haryana's bureaucratic circles and raised serious concerns about corruption within the state's civil services. The use of a personal vehicle for collecting bribes and the involvement of lower-level staff members suggest a potentially well-established system of graft. 

The ACB's investigation is ongoing, with efforts to locate and question Dahiya intensifying. The bureau's spokesperson emphasized the seriousness of the allegations, stating that using government employees for personal errands, let alone illegal activities, is a grave misuse of power.

As the case unfolds, it serves as a stark reminder of the challenges facing India's fight against corruption in public offices. The incident has prompted calls for stricter oversight and more robust anti-corruption measures within the state's administrative system.

The coming days are crucial as the ACB continues its pursuit of Dahiya and delves deeper into the workings of her office. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for how corruption cases involving high-ranking officials are handled in the future.