A Rajasthan police constable's suspension has ignited a major political controversy, with allegations of assault, political pressure from a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator, and illegal mining at its core. Head Constable Rajesh Meena, posted at the Kekri Sadar police station in Ajmer district, was suspended for alleged misconduct, but he claims it is retaliation for acting against the 'gravel mafia'.
The Constable's Allegations: A Viral Video and MLA Pressure
In a video that circulated on social media, Rajesh Meena laid out a sequence of events beginning on the night of January 5. He stated that his Station House Officer (SHO) informed him about a death during illegal mining and instructed him to rush to the spot. Upon arrival, Meena reported finding four tractors and two JCB machines. He seized the vehicles.
Meena alleged that the SHO arrived three hours later and immediately asked him to release the impounded vehicles. "I told him I can’t free them as my video has gone viral and I don’t allow illegal mining. I said you may be taking money (as a bribe) but I don’t," Meena claimed in the video.
The situation escalated, according to Meena, when local BJP MLA Shatrughan Gautam began pressuring him. "I received around 20 calls from the MLA and his persons," he said, adding that the legislator threatened to get him fired. After taking the vehicles to the police station, Meena said he was assaulted by 15-20 individuals when he stepped out to meet a relative. "I sustained injuries on my hands and my head, and then I was suspended too. This is the humiliation of the police," he stated.
Administration's Counter: Suspension for Assault and Misconduct
The police administration has presented a starkly different version. Ajmer Deputy Superintendent of Police Harshit Sharma stated that Meena was suspended for a separate incident of assault and misconduct. Sharma claimed that on the night of January 5, Meena "got drunk and assaulted and abused some private persons outside a hospital here." He also allegedly damaged their vehicle. The suspension order was based on a complaint from the victims.
Regarding the mining case, Sharma asserted that the Mines Department conducted a verification and found the activity to be legal, occurring within a leased area. The department subsequently wrote to the police station to release the vehicles. On the reported death, Sharma clarified it was an accidental death unrelated to illegal mining.
Political Firestorm: Congress Attacks BJP Government
The incident has provided ammunition to the opposition Congress party, which has launched a scathing attack on the BJP state government. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to social media platform X to allege that the "bajri (gravel) mafia is running amok" with the government acting as their protector.
Gehlot further claimed that in the Kekri assembly constituency, the gravel mafia has been responsible for four deaths in the last two years. He urged the Chief Minister to take immediate action against the guilty and the public representatives protecting them.
Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra echoed these sentiments, stating Meena was "brutally beaten for stopping illegal mining" and then suspended as a reward. He framed the issue as a direct assault on the rule of law, accusing BJP leaders and senior police officers of colluding to protect criminals while harassing dutiful police personnel. "Has the BJP government completely surrendered to illegal mining?" Dotasra questioned.
Attempts to contact Head Constable Rajesh Meena and MLA Shatrughan Gautam for their comments were unsuccessful as their phones were switched off. The case highlights ongoing tensions over illegal mining in Rajasthan and raises serious questions about political interference in police work.
