Jaipur: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has closed the Rs 2 crore bribery case against suspended Rajasthan Police Service officer and former Additional Superintendent of Police Divya Mittal, bringing major relief to the senior police officer who was arrested in the case in 2023.
The case dates back to 2021, when narcotic medicines worth around Rs 16 crore were seized in Jaipur and Ajmer. At the time, Mittal was heading the Ajmer Special Operations Group, which was investigating the matter.
During the investigation, a pharmaceutical company based in Haridwar and its owner came under scrutiny. The ACB alleged that Mittal had demanded Rs 2 crore from the pharmaceutical company owner in return for removing his name from the narcotics case and ensuring that he was not arrested.
According to the ACB's case, the alleged demand was communicated through dismissed police constable Sumit, who was accused of acting as an intermediary. The amount was later allegedly negotiated down to Rs 50 lakh, with Rs 25 lakh reportedly agreed as the first instalment.
The complainant approached the ACB, following which investigators carried out verification and recorded conversations relating to the alleged demand. An operation was subsequently planned to catch the officer. However, the operation could not be completed as Mittal allegedly became aware of the ACB's action.
The agency nevertheless proceeded with the investigation based on the verification material and recorded conversations. Mittal was arrested on January 16, 2023. She initially faced proceedings before a special ACB court, but the Rajasthan High Court granted her bail around 100 days later, in March 2023.
The ACB subsequently filed an extensive chargesheet running to around 11,500 pages. Investigators alleged that Mittal had demanded Rs 2 crore and accepted Rs 1 crore in connection with the case.
However, the prosecution faced a major hurdle when the required sanction to prosecute the officer was not obtained. The ACB's application for prosecution sanction was rejected, with the agency reportedly unable to provide evidence considered sufficient to secure the necessary approval.
The bribery investigation also led to scrutiny of Mittal's financial affairs. Separate allegations relating to disproportionate assets and another alleged Rs 1 crore bribery matter emerged during the subsequent proceedings.
With the ACB now formally closing the Rs 2 crore bribery case, attention has shifted to the exact grounds for the closure and what action, if any, remains pending against the suspended officer.
The case had attracted considerable attention because of Mittal's position in the Rajasthan Police Service and the serious allegations connected to a major narcotics investigation. The ACB's decision effectively brings the long-running bribery probe to an end, although other proceedings or investigations linked to the former officer may continue separately.
The development comes more than three years after Mittal's arrest and marks a significant turn in a case that had begun with allegations of a Rs 2 crore demand but ultimately failed to proceed further after prosecution sanction was not secured.
For now, the closure provides significant legal relief to Mittal in this particular bribery case, while the circumstances surrounding the decision are likely to remain a subject of scrutiny.
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