JAIPUR: Almost 60 days after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sahiram Meena posted at narcotics department in Kota, the ACB filed a 275-page-long chargesheet against Meena and his middleman Kamlesh on Monday, and interestingly, the bureau has made district opium officer Subramaniam as co-accused, while keeping investigation pending against him.Subramaniam’s mention in the report marks a major shift in the bribery case as he had earlier claimed to have applied for an early retirement due to constant pressure and arm-twisting by his boss, Meena. The bureau officials, however, said they have found official documents with glaring irregularities with his signatures and handwriting on them.“There are documents where names of farmers with less opium content given clear preference over those with high opium content for the post of mukhiya. This hints at malpractices which needs to be investigated,” the official said, adding that the bureau as per the provisions of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPc) has made Subramaniam as co-accused, keeping investigation pending against him. Probe has been kept open against other unnamed persons too. “As per rules, the farmer with high opium content should be appointed as mukhiya. A mukhiya is the one who serves as liaisoner between narcotics officials and farmers. This gives them unfettered access to the narcotics bureau because of which there is a race to become mukhiya,” an official said, adding that that the bribery scandal indicates how corruption had become institutionalized in the department. “Prima facie, he is an accused, but we will interrogate Subramaniam, if he is guilty we will file a chargesheet against him, if not, we will close the investigation,” the official said.On January 26, Meena was arrested by the state’s ACB for accepting a bribe of Rs 1lakh. The ACB team had laid a trap thereafter and caught him red-handed while accepting the bribe from Kamlesh, for making his father Nand Lal the head of opium cultivation licences in Chittorgarh district , the officer said. “As per rules, Nand Lal should have been given preference. Instead, district opium officer chose Moti Lal. Kamlesh paid the bribe to Meena in order to get his father the post. Hence, Meena actually did the right thing but he received kickbacks for that,” the official said.

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