Forest official held for taking Rs 1 lakh bribe

A forest department official was today arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district, officials said.

R P Dubey (54), who was posted as assistant director of Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve in Mainpur area of the district, was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe from complainant Yashwant Sahu in lieu of clearing his payment related to government works, an ACB official told PTI.

As per the complaint filed by Sahu, who hailed from Kasrudih village, he had supplied 'murum' and soil for renovation of a road in Jangda village under the tiger reserve area for which the department had to pay Rs 17,72,000 to him, he said.

When he approached Dubey for clearing his payment, the officer demanded a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from him and received Rs 50,000 initially, he said.

Meanwhile, Sahu lodged a complaint in this connection to ACB.

When the accused asked Sahu to bring Rs 1 lakh at his house in Mainpur today, a trap was laid and further action was taken, he said.

A case under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 has been registered against him, he added.