Panchayat Sevak caught taking bribe red-handed

Mail News Service

Chaibasa, March 25: A team of Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials here arrested one Panchayat Sevak posted in Karlajuri panchayat of Chaibasa Sadar block while taking a bribe of Rs 11,000 for passing a bill, sources said.

The accused, Sagar Laguri, a native of Seldauri village in Jagannathpur (West Singhbhum), was caught red-handed while taking bribe from Sukhlal Purty, president of the local Karlajuri Beneficiaries’ Committee, near Mahulsai Over-bridge, sources said.

According to sources, the accused had demanded Rs 12,000 in lieu of passing the final bill for the project of constructing a bathing place (Snan Ghat) in Karlajuri panchayat at a cost of Rs 2,49,900 funded under the 15^th Finance Commission. Sukhlal told the accused he had finished the work within time and hence he would not pay bribe. Therafter, Sukhlal contacted the ACB officials through the local RTI activist Sadhu Charan Kuntia and registered a complaint against Laguri. After verifying the details, Sukhlal was made to pay Rs 1000 to Laguri as per the plan of ACB officials. Laguri asked Sukhlal to pay him the remaining amount near Mahulsai Over-bridge around 4 pm. As Sukhlal gave Rs 11,000 to Laguri, the ACB sleuths reached there and nabbed the Panchayat Sevak.