APDCL officials arrested for ‘accepting bribe’

GUWAHATI: A team from the Assam directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption caught two officials of Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) red-handed while the duo were allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 80,000 from an electrical contractor, in a restaurant at Tezpur on Friday evening.

An official statement issued here on Sunday said the accused, Prakash Ranjan Dutta, assistant general manager, testing and commissioning division, APDCL and co-accused Jatin Kumar Dhekial Phukan, assistant manager of the same division, had initially demanded a bribe of Rs 1, 00,000 from the complainant, Diganta Goswami, for clearance to install a solar meter system in a manufacturing unit of Dabur India Ltd at Balipara.

Later the amount was negotiated to Rs 80,000. The bribe money has been seized from the possession of the accused by the anti-corruption bureau team.

“The complainant was not willing to pay the bribe amount and had approached the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) police station in the directorate and a case was registered (vide ACB PS case number 14/2019 under sections 7(a)/13(1)(b)/13(2) of PC Act) on November 5, 2019,” the statement said.

The accused, Prakash Ranjan Dutta had called the complainant for handover of the bribe amount on Friday evening and a trap was laid by the ACB team.

“Based on available evidence, the FIR named co-accused Jatin Kumar Dhekial Phukan was examined by ACB officials at his temporary residence at Dimaruguri, Nagaon for his involvement in the case. Later, he was arrested for his involvement in the case, after observing proper formalities,” the statement said.

The accused have been forwarded before the Court of Special Judge, Assam here, the statement added.