A junior engineer in Uttar Pradesh has been arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe to expedite a contractor's pending payment, highlighting ongoing efforts to combat corruption.
Key Points
- Junior engineer and driver arrested in Meerut for accepting a ₹1 lakh bribe.
- The bribe was allegedly demanded for clearing a contractor's pending payment of ₹25 lakh.
- The Anti-Corruption Organisation (ACO) laid a trap following a complaint by the contractor.
- The engineer allegedly asked the driver to collect the bribe on his behalf.
- Both accused are being interrogated and face charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Uttar Pradesh State Construction Corporation's junior engineer and a driver were caught red-handed while accepting a Rs-1 lakh bribe for clearing a contractor's pending payment in Meerut on Tuesday, police said.
Details of the Bribery Case
The junior engineer, identified as Yogendra Singh, allegedly tried to flee when a team of Uttar Pradesh Police's Anti-Corruption Organisation (ACO) entered the office after trapping the driver who had collected the cash on his behalf, officials said.
Inspector Yogendra Kumar, in-charge of the ACO's Meerut unit, said the action followed a complaint filed by contractor Satyendra Singh Tomar, a resident of Baghpat.
Contractor's Complaint and ACO Action
According to the complaint, nearly Rs 25 lakh payable to Tomar had remained pending for a long time despite the completion of construction work in 2023. Tomar alleged that the file was repeatedly held up on one pretext or another and that Yogendra Singh had demanded a bribe to facilitate the release of the payment.
Police said the engineer had initially demanded Rs 1.70 lakh, which was later negotiated down to Rs 1 lakh.
The Arrest and Investigation
Following the complaint, the ACO team laid a trap. On Tuesday morning, the contractor was sent to the State Construction Corporation's office with currency notes treated with a chemical agent.
However, instead of accepting the money directly, the junior engineer allegedly asked Neeraj Pal, the driver of the Project Manager's vehicle, to collect the cash on his behalf.
As soon as Pal accepted bribe amount, the ACO team arrested him on the spot. The team then entered the corporation's office in Rajivpuram in the Medical police station area, where Yogendra Singh was present. Seeing the officials, he allegedly attempted to escape but was taken into custody.
Both accused are being interrogated and further legal proceedings under the Prevention of Corruption Act are being initiated, police said.
