Patna, April 22 (IANS) Panic and chaos gripped the Benipatti Circle Office in Madhubani district of Bihar on Wednesday after a team from the Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB) carried out a surprise raid and caught a government clerk red-handed while accepting a bribe.

The arrested clerk has been identified as Saket Kumar.

Along with him, the vigilance team also apprehended a middleman, Parmanand Jha, a resident of Dhakjari village.

According to an official, Saket Kumar had allegedly demanded Rs 30,000 from Ravindra Yadav, a resident of Dahila village under Parjuar Panchayat, in exchange for facilitating the removal of an encroachment.

Due to financial constraints, the deal was eventually settled at Rs 15,000.

As per the arrangement, the first installment of Rs 10,000 was to be paid on Wednesday around noon.

Acting on a prior complaint, the vigilance team had already laid a trap inside the office premises.

As soon as the money was handed over, officials moved in and caught both the clerk and the middleman red-handed.

The sudden action of the Vigilance Investigation Bureau led to commotion across the Circle Office and the adjoining block premises, with officials and locals gathering at the spot.

Notably, the District Magistrate had already issued orders to remove the encroachment from the said land.

Despite this, the accused clerk was allegedly demanding money to carry out the process, misusing his position and authority.

Following the arrest, the vigilance team has taken both accused individuals to Patna for further questioning.

The case highlights ongoing concerns over corruption at the local administrative level, even in matters where clear official directives have already been issued.

Earlier, on April 16, the Vigilance Investigation Bureau carried out an operation in Purnea and arrested an Assistant Engineer for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000.

The accused, Bhushan Prasad, was posted with the Bihar Education Department.

The arrest followed a complaint filed by Nandan Kumar Jha, a resident of Hemnagar village under Sarsi police station limits in Purnea.

–IANS

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