2 forest dept employees held for taking bribe

Two guards at the Itawa forest range here were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 4,000 from a man to allow him to transport sand, an official said.

Forest guard Mukesh Chand Jatav and cattle guard Dinsesh Singh Rajput, posted at Ghagtana forest check post in the National Chambal Crocodile Sanctuary, were caught accepting a bribe of Rs 4,000 from one Neeraj Meena of Kitalheda village, said Chandrasheel Thakur, Additional Superintendent of Police, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Kota.

Thakur said the two guards had demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 from Meena for transportation of sand from the forest area.

Meena approached the ACB, following which a trap was laid at the Ghagtana forest check post and the guards were caught accepting the bribe, he said.

Thakur added that Meena had already paid Rs 1,000 to the duo.

Further investigation in the case is on.

Mining of sand and soil from the National Chambal Crocodile Sanctuary is prohibited.