A young Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officer has landed in the dock after the Anti-Corruption Bureau caught her accepting a bribe of Rs 60,000 in Karauli district, raising uncomfortable questions about accountability within the lower rungs of the bureaucracy.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Kajal Meena, posted in Nadoti, was arrested along with her reader Dinesh Kumar Saini and Senior Assistant Praveen Dhakad. The action followed a complaint from a man who complained that he was being pressured to pay money to secure the final decree in a land matter.
Officials said the demand did not begin at Rs 60,000. The complainant told the ACB that Rs 1 lakh was initially sought before the amount was brought down to Rs 50,000. During verification, the reader allegedly asked for Rs 50,000 on behalf of the SDM and Rs 10,000 for himself.
Trap Laid Inside SDM Office
After verifying the complaint, the ACB set up a trap at the Nadoti office. Yesterday, the team moved in when the money was allegedly handed over. The three accused were taken into custody on the spot.
During the raid, officials also recovered around Rs 4 lakh in cash described as “suspicious”. While sources indicated that the amount could be linked to other collections, the ACB has said only that the matter is under investigation.
The operation was carried out by the Sawai Madhopur unit under the supervision of Deputy Inspector General Dr Rameshwar Singh, with Additional SP Gyan Singh Chaudhary leading the team. The accused are now being questioned, and a case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Timing, Second Posting
What has added to the attention around the case is how early it comes in Meena’s career. A 2024 batch RAS officer, she had taken charge in Nadoti on October 30, 2025. This was her second posting after earlier stints in Tonk and Pratapgarh.
Meena comes from Badauli village in the Wazirpur subdivision of Sawai Madhopur district. Her father, Dr Kamar Singh Meena, heads a Community Health Centre. She is unmarried and was posted not far from her home region, where she has relatives in and around Nadoti.
Words That Don’t Match Actions
Before joining the service, Meena had studied electrical engineering at IIT Mandi. During her selection process, she had said she wanted to move from a technical field to administration because it would allow her to bring positive change to people’s lives using legitimate authority.
That statement has resurfaced sharply in light of her arrest.
Not an Isolated Case
The ACB’s action comes amid a series of similar crackdowns in the region. In an earlier case, Assistant Engineer Mahendra Singh Jatav was caught with Rs 3.7 lakh, allegedly collected through corrupt means.
Meena and the two other accused are expected to be produced in court, where the ACB will seek their remand. No formal word has yet been issued on suspension or departmental proceedings.
During reporting, the investigation is in process, but the episode has once again highlighted how quickly the promise of public service can give way to allegations of misuse of power.
