Saharsa: A Circle Officer (CO) and a computer operator were arrested in Saharsa, Bihar, on Friday for taking a bribe. The vigilance team caught them red-handed while they were accepting Rs 20,000 in their office. The CO has been identified as Rakesh Kumar of Patarghat zone, and the computer operator as Rahul Kumar.
Kailash Yadav, a resident of Kariyat village, had applied online to get his land mutation done. CO Rakesh Kumar allegedly asked him for a bribe of Rs 50,000 to clear the process. Troubled by this demand, Yadav complained to the vigilance team in Patna. The team verified the complaint and made a plan to catch the CO.
For several days, the vigilance team kept visiting the Patarghat zone office, but the CO was not present as he was busy with voter revision work. On Friday, after finishing meetings in the block auditorium, the CO came to his office at 6 pm. As planned, Kailash Yadav gave him Rs 20,000, and the vigilance team immediately arrested him. Rahul Kumar, the data operator, was also taken into custody.
The arrested men were taken to the CO’s house in Madhepura for further investigation. Officials believe that they might reveal more details during questioning. The vigilance team will present them in the special vigilance court in Bhagalpur, and they are likely to be sent to jail. This is the 52nd corruption case filed by the vigilance bureau this year, and so far, 47 officials have been arrested while taking bribes.
Headline: Bihar CO caught taking Rs 20,000 bribe for land mutation
