Rajasthan: Govt teacher accused of bribing minister during public hearing

JAIPUR: A government school teacher allegedly attempted to bribe Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar during a public hearing at his official residence in Jaipur. The teacher, Chandrakant Vaishnav, allegedly came with a written request seeking inclusion in a curriculum committee.

He allegedly carried a packet of sweets and an envelope containing Rs 5,000 in cash. Dilawar was conducting a routine public hearing at the residence. "I took the envelope assuming it contained a recommendation letter as is common in such meetings," he said. Later, a staffer noticed that the envelope contained cash.

Teacher associated with ABVP

"On checking, I found Rs 5,000 in the envelope. I asked the man to stay there and immediately informed the police," the minister said. In his application, the teacher allegedly also mentioned that he had been associated with ABVP and the Sangh Parivar since his student years.

Police are now questioning Vaishnav, who is a Grade-III teacher posted at a government school Ghatol block of Banswara district. He had allegedly come to Jaipur with the intention of securing a position in the curriculum committee associated with the Rajasthan State Council of Educational Research and Training (RSCERT).

Calling the incident a "painful and unfortunate moment," Dilawar said this was the first time in his 35-36 years of political life that someone had presumed he would accept money for official work. "This is the most unfortunate incident of my life. It is saddening to see that people think the education minister would take money to get things done," he said.