‘Conspiracy’: Booked for mobile in jail, former Rajasthan MLA threatens hunger strike

A former Rajasthan MLA, lodged in Jaipur Central Jail in connection with an alleged scam, has announced that he would go on an indefinite hunger strike. This comes three days after a mobile phone was allegedly recovered from his barracks following which an FIR was registered against him.

Alleging that the case against him is false and politically motivated, the former MLA from Behror in Alwar district, Baljeet Yadav, has written to the DGP seeking an impartial investigation in the FIR registered on September 9.

In a letter submitted to Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) on Friday, Sandeep Kumar Yadav, a spokesperson for the former MLA, requested an impartial inquiry into the matter. He said in the letter, “During a meeting in jail, Baljeet told me that the mobile phone was reportedly found abandoned in a public toilet in the lane behind Barrack No.

5 and was not recovered from him. CCTV cameras are installed across the jail premises and their footage could establish where Baljeet was at the time of the alleged recovery and who was present near the barracks and the place where the phone was found.” According to the letter, Baljeet was in the jail hospital getting his blood pressure and sugar checked at the time mentioned in the case.

He came to know about the case through other inmates and jail staff, the letter stated. Sandeep has requested that CCTV recordings from the relevant period be preserved and examined as part of the investigation. He has also sought statements from inmates and other people who may have witnessed the incident.

Baljeet has alleged that the case was registered against him to damage his image and claimed that political pressure or a conspiracy may be behind the action. Why would jail officers conspire against anyone: DG Director General (DG), Jail, Ashok Rathore said, the FIR is a document of facts and that investigation will be conducted by police authorities.

“If the allegations are found proved, it would result in a charge sheet against the accused and if the charges are not proved, it would result in an FR (Final Report). Why would the jail officers conspire against anyone, as alleged?” he told The Indian Express.

We, as jail authorities, are making an attempt to make the prisons free from prohibited items, he added. Baljeet is in jail in connection with an alleged scam of over Rs 3.72 crore involving the MLA Local Area Development Fund.

Baljeet was an MLA of Rashtriya Janata Party. The case relates to the purchase of badminton and cricket kits for 32 government schools in the Behror assembly constituency in 2021. The allegations are that the sports equipment was bought at two-and-a-half to three times its actual price, causing a loss to the government.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a corruption case against Yadav on December 12, 2024. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) later took up the case and filed a prosecution complaint. Yadav was arrested by the ED on February 3 this year.

After his remand ended, the ED produced Yadav before a special court in Jaipur on February 7 following which he was sent to judicial custody. Parul Kulshrestha is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Rajasthan.

A lawyer turned journalist, she brings a unique cross-disciplinary perspective to her reporting, blending legal precision with deep social inquiry to cover one of India's most culturally and politically vibrant regions.

Expertise and Experience Legal-Journalistic Synergy: Parul’s transition from a legal background to mainstream journalism provides her with a distinct advantage in interpreting policy, legislation, and judicial impacts. This expertise allows her to "read between the lines" of government orders and court rulings affecting the public.

Diverse Beat: With years of experience across both mainstream newsrooms and independent journalism, she has built high-level authority in several critical areas: Nomadic Tribes & Marginalized Communities: She is recognized for her sensitive and in-depth reporting on the struggles and rights of Rajasthan's nomadic populations, often giving a voice to those outside the traditional political spotlight.

Gender & Social Justice: Parul focuses on the intersection of law and gender, covering issues ranging from women’s safety and reproductive rights to the socio-economic empowerment of rural women. Environmental & Political Reporting: She tracks Rajasthan’s complex political landscape—including electoral shifts and bureaucratic changes—alongside critical environmental concerns like water scarcity and land use.

Academic & Professional Pedigree: Her background as a lawyer, combined with her rise to the rank of Principal Correspondent at a national broadsheet, establishes her as a senior voice in the media landscape. ... Read More