Ranchi (IANS): The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) intensified its crackdown on corruption in Jharkhand this Thursday, arresting a police sub-inspector in Koderma and a woman Panchayat secretary in Gumla. Both officials were caught red-handed in separate trap operations.
The Koderma Sting: Liquor Case Settlement
In Koderma, the Hazaribagh ACB team arrested Sub-Inspector Pawan Kumar Ram, posted at the Chandwara police station. Officials caught him accepting a ₹15,000 bribe at his official quarters.
The officer had allegedly demanded ₹1 lakh to settle a case involving illegal liquor. The complainant initially alerted JKLM leader Prem Nayak, who helped file the formal complaint with the ACB. Investigators took the sub-inspector into custody immediately after he accepted the first installment.
The Gumla Sting: Withheld Payment for Well Repairs
Simultaneously, the Ranchi ACB team arrested Kiran Kusum Khalkho, the Panchayat Secretary of Chatti Serka in Gumla district. She was caught accepting ₹8,000 from a local resident, Parameshwar Singh.
Singh alleged that Khalkho demanded the money to clear a pending bill for well-repair work completed on his land. The ACB verified the claim and arrested her during the exchange of the bribe.
Corruption Trends in 2026
ACB officials confirmed that these arrests mark the sixth successful trap case by the Ranchi bureau so far in 2026. The department has urged the public to continue reporting bribe demands to help eliminate corruption in government offices. Both accused face charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
