Government official demanding more bribe in Bihar!

PATNA: If figures of the vigilance investigation bureau are to be believed, then the government officials in Bihar have started demanding more bribe money for getting works done.


According to details with the bureau, altogether 42 government officials were trapped allegedly while accepting bribe across state till now this year. This includes sales tax department assistant commissioner, Shashikant Chaturvedi, and state police assistant sub-inspector, Santosh Kumar Ram, who got arrested from Khagaria and West Champaran respectively on Thursday.

Chaturvedi was arrested while accepting Rs 1 lakh bribe from his official residence at Officers’ Colony. Similarly, Ram was arrested while accepting Rs 40,000 from his quarter inside Shikarpur police station.

Vigilance sources said that these 42 traps yielded altogether Rs 27.77 lakh bribe money which include money from an unknown source kept at office and rented accommodation.

They said though in this year the figure of arrests made is less in comparison to the arresting made in 2016 and 2017.

“Surprisingly, even with 42 traps, seized bribe amount is Rs 27.77 lakh. If compared to seized bribe amount in 2016, it is mere Rs 1.68 lakh less while highest 110 traps were made in that year,” a senior vigilance officer added on condition of anonymity.

In 2017, altogether 83 traps were made with seizure of Rs 17.93 lakh bribe money. Incidentally demonetization took place on November 8, 2016.

“The rise in bribe amount is a matter of study. Now, bribe amount frequently goes in lakh which was not recorded in earlier days,” he said adding the Friday's arrest of assistant commission is one such example.

Vigilance sources said Chaturvedi was arrested while accepting bribe from Rahul Kumar who owns a three-wheeler showroom and servicing centre in Khagaria.

They said Rahul had lodged a complaint with bureau almost a week back that Chaturvedi was demanding Rs 2 lakh for tax assessment.

“Rahul had requested for some tax relief. In lieu of it, Chaturvedi demanded Rs 2 lakh. He agreed to do businessman’s work only after a payment of first instalment,” sources said.

In addition to the bribe money, Rs 55,000 was also seized from Chaturvedi’s pocket whose source he failed to explain. Sources said Chaturvedi had joined service in 2009 after getting selected through Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) and is native of Daltonganj in Jharkhand.

Earlier on October 9, Raja Ram Singh a contractual revenue clerk was arrested allegedly while accepting bribe of Rs 5 lakh from his rented accommodation at Rajgir in Nalanda. Singh, who retired few years back, had demanded Rs 20 lakh for land survey from one Parmanand Kumar.

On September 5, MNREGA programme officer Rajeev Ranjan was also arrested allegedly while accepting Rs 2.57 lakh bribe money in Saharsa.