New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) employee along with a private individual in a bribery case related to the settlement of a pending water bill, officials said on Wednesday.

The arrested accused have been identified as Vinod Kumar, a peon-cum-assistant meter reader posted in Zone-VI, Seelampur, and Nitin Kumar, a private person.

According to the CBI, a case was registered on February 8, based on a complaint alleging that the DJB employee had demanded a bribe of Rs 12,000 from the complainant for rectifying and waiving off the pending water bill of the complainant’s house.

The agency said that out of the total demanded amount, the accused had already accepted Rs 5,500 from the complainant on February 3. He subsequently demanded the remaining Rs 6,500 for the final settlement of the bill.

Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap on February 9. During the operation, the accused DJB employee and the private person were allegedly caught red-handed while demanding and accepting the remaining bribe amount of Rs 6,500 from the complainant.

Both accused were immediately taken into custody.

Officials said the role of the private person in facilitating the alleged bribery transaction is also being examined as part of the probe.

The CBI stated that further investigation is underway to ascertain the full sequence of events and whether any other individuals were involved in the matter.

The arrest assumes significance as the DJB has faced increasing public scrutiny in recent years over billing disputes, water supply complaints and allegations of irregularities.

Officials said such actions are aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in civic service delivery, particularly in departments that directly interface with citizens on essential services like water supply.

–IANS

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