Guwahati, Sep 28: In sync with its intensified operations against corrupt practices in government departments, teams of the Assam directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption laid traps in separate offices and caught two government employees accepting bribes on Wednesday.
In the first instance, a complaint was received at the directorate, alleging that Utpal Kumar Nath, additional patwari in the office of the settlement officer, Cachar and Hailakandi districts in Silchar had demanded Rs 2000 as bribe for processing land certification work of the complainant.
“Subsequently, a trap was laid by a team from the directorate and Nath was caught red handed soon after he accepted the bribe amount from the complainant. The bribe money has been recovered from his possession and accordingly seized in presence of independent witnesses,” an official statement said.
In the other instance, a similar complaint was received at the directorate, alleging that Miachand Ali, a naik (unarmed branch) of police, CID, Assam, now on deputation to the Assam Police headquarters in Ulubari, had demanded Rs 10,000 from the complainant for expediting processing and passing of two pending bills. Later, the bribe amount was reduced to Rs 2,000.
A trap was laid inside the office of the treasury officer, Kamrup Metro, Hengrabari here where Ali was caught red handed on Wednesday afternoon, as he accepted the bribe money from the complainant.
The bribe money was recovered from his possession and accordingly seized in presence of independent witnesses.
Accordingly, cases under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) have been registered against the two government employees at the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) police station. Necessary legal follow up action is underway.
Sources inform that about 50 government officials/employees, across various government departments, have been caught red-handed while accepting bribes and arrested by the directorate since May 10, 2021.