Purnia: A revenue officer in Purnia district has been arrested alongside an alleged associate after being caught accepting a Rs 40,000 bribe, in what officials describe as the second anti-corruption raid in the area within 30 hours.
The operation, carried out by the state’s Vigilance Bureau on Friday, forms part of an ongoing “zero tolerance” drive against corruption. Officers apprehended Lal Babu Rajak, posted in the Purnia East Circle, and Ruby Kundu after a trap was laid following a formal complaint.
According to investigators, the case originated when Lalita Devi, a resident of Gulabbagh, alleged she had been repeatedly asked to pay Rs 50,000 in exchange for a “stay report” relating to her 3.5-katha plot of land. Instead of paying directly, she approached the Vigilance Bureau in Patna.
Officials said Rajak attempted to avoid detection by instructing the complainant to hand over the money to Kundu rather than accepting it himself. However, a team led by DSP Amarendra Prasad Vidyarthi verified the complaint and conducted a sting operation at the Purnia East Circle record office.
The arrests were made at the moment Lalita Devi handed over Rs 40,000—described as the first instalment of the agreed bribe—to Kundu. The full amount was recovered at the scene, and both suspects were detained.
Preliminary questioning indicated that a total sum of Rs 50,000 had been agreed upon, with the remaining Rs 10,000 to be paid later.
A Vigilance Bureau officer said both accused are in custody and legal proceedings are under way. They are expected to be produced before a special court in Patna.
The back-to-back raids in Purnia have drawn attention within administrative circles, highlighting ongoing efforts to clamp down on corruption in public offices. Officials said such operations aim to deter malpractice, particularly in cases where routine services are allegedly delayed to extract illegal payments.
Lalita Devi’s complaint has been widely noted locally as an example of citizens choosing to report corruption rather than comply with it.
