Junior clerk in Pusad DFO caught by ACB
YAVATMAL: A junior clerk attached to the office of Pusad divisional forest office (DFO) was caught red-handed by sleuths of anti-corruption bureau on Tuesday. He was caught accepting a bribe of Rs 11,000 from a farmer for getting hammer mark and passing certificate for teak cut from his farm.
Deputy SP SD Jaharwal said Sanjay Bhimrao Gangatre, a resident of village Sukli of Umarkhed tehsil, had lodged a complaint with ACB Yavatmal. He alleged that junior clerk Udayprakash Manmohanlal Shrivastav (57) in the Pusad DFO had demanded a bribe of Rs 11,000 for giving hammer mark on teak felled on his farm and a passing certificate for the same.
“We laid a trap on May 24 to nab the corrupt clerk but it failed,” Jaharwal said. The ACB again laid a trap on Tuesday and caught the clerk at his office table while accepting the bribe of Rs 11,000.
The complainant had cut teak on his farm and approached the forest office for getting the mark and the passing certificate. Shrivastav delayed the procedure and finally demanded Rs 11,000 for the work. Sanjay agreed to pay him on May 24. He reported this to the ACB and they laid a trap. However, Shrivastav was on official tour that day and changed the date.
The ACB laid a trap again, and caught the clerk in his office. They recovered the marked notes from him and arrested him late in the night under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Chief conservator of forest Devandra Kumar confirmed the arrest of an employee by ACB and said the report is yet to be received from the DFO. “As soon as I receive the report, I will take action against the employee,” he said.
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