Patna, June 1 (IANS) In a major anti-corruption operation, the Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB) arrested an Electricity Department Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) in Bihar’s Banka district after allegedly catching him red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000.

The operation was carried out at the Rajoun Electrical Sub-Division office on Monday.

The arrested official has been identified as Bijendra Kumar, SDO of the Electricity Department.

Following the successful trap operation, the Vigilance team took him into custody and transported him to Patna for further legal proceedings and interrogation.

According to a vigilance official, the case originated from a complaint filed by Manoj Kumar Yadav, a resident of Ghasiya village under the Dhoraiya police station area. Yadav had applied to convert his domestic electricity connection into a commercial connection.

It is alleged that the SDO demanded a bribe to process legitimate departmental work. The complainant claimed that an initial demand of Rs 2 lakh was made, which was later reduced to Rs 30,000.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, Manoj Kumar Yadav submitted a written complaint to the Vigilance Investigation Bureau in Patna, seeking action against the official.

Upon receiving the complaint, the Vigilance Department conducted a discreet investigation into the allegations. Upon finding prima facie evidence supporting the complaint, officials planned a trap operation to catch the accused in the act.

As part of the operation, the complainant was instructed to hand over the agreed amount. When the first instalment of Rs 20,000 was allegedly accepted by the SDO on Monday, the Vigilance team immediately intervened and arrested him on the spot.

The operation was led by Vigilance DSP Satyendra Ram and carried out by a specially constituted raiding team comprising ten members. The team included Police Inspectors Radheshyam Ram and Ashmit Kumar, along with Sub-Inspectors Shashikant Singh, Rahul Kumar, Randhir Singh, and Pankaj Kumar Singh, among others.

Officials stated that all mandatory procedural and technical formalities were completed at the scene. These reportedly included verification of the currency note serial numbers and chemical testing procedures used in trap cases to establish the handling of the marked money.

–IANS

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