Patna, June 4 (IANS) Bihar’s Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB) intensified its anti-corruption campaign on Thursday by arresting a revenue employee and his alleged middleman in a trap operation conducted in Patna district.

According to the Bureau, Rana Ranvijay Gopal, posted at Mainpuranda Panchayat under the Phulwari Sharif block, was caught allegedly for accepting a bribe of Rs 35,000.

Along with Ranvijay Gopal, the alleged intermediary Guddu Kumar, a resident of Anisabad, was also apprehended while allegedly receiving Rs 10,000.

Both were arrested during a planned trap operation at the Mainpuranda Panchayat Bhawan, where the investigating team recovered the bribe money from their possession.

The case originated from a written complaint filed by Praveen Kumar Suman, a resident of Gorakhari village in Patna district.

According to the complaint, the revenue employee and his alleged middleman had demanded money in exchange for preparing an official report related to the removal of alleged illegal encroachments involving four houses located near the complainant’s land.

After receiving the complaint, the Vigilance Bureau conducted a confidential verification exercise.

Officials said that the allegations regarding the demand for illegal gratification were found to be substantiated during the preliminary inquiry.

Based on the verification, an FIR was registered on June 3, 2026, at the Vigilance Police Station.

A special trap team was subsequently formed under the supervision of Bihar Deputy Superintendent of Police Rishita Sneh.

Investigators said that the team laid a trap at the Panchayat Bhawan and moved in immediately after the complainant allegedly handed over the marked currency notes to the accused.

Both individuals were taken into custody and are likely to be produced before the Special Vigilance Court in Patna following the questioning.

The latest arrests come amid an intensified anti-corruption drive by the Vigilance Bureau.

According to official figures provided by the agency, eight people have been arrested in separate bribery cases over the past four days.

The Bureau said that this is the 69th FIR registered by the agency since January 2026 and the 64th case involving a planned trap operation.

According to official statistics released by the Vigilance Investigation Bureau, 64 accused persons have been caught red-handed in trap cases so far this year, and a total of Rs 25,42,800 in alleged bribe money has been recovered during these operations.

In comparison, during 2025, the Bureau registered 101 trap cases and reported recoveries totaling Rs 37,80,300.

The continued enforcement campaign is being viewed as part of the state’s broader effort to curb corruption in public administration.

As with all criminal proceedings, the allegations against the accused individuals remain subject to judicial determination.

–IANS

ajk/khz