Bihar Vigilance Bureau arrests BDO Amit Pratap Singh for ₹75,000 bribe in Banka
Synopsis
A serving Block Development Officer in Bihar's Banka district was caught red-handed accepting a ₹75,000 bribe — just one day after being involved in a public altercation with a former Mukhiya. The back-to-back controversies have put the Phulidumar block administration under an uncomfortable spotlight and raised questions about oversight of Panchayati Raj development funds.
Key Takeaways
Amit Pratap Singh , BDO of Phulidumar block , Banka district , was arrested on 1 September while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹75,000 .
The trap was set following a written complaint by Block Pramukh Gautam Prakash to the Bihar Vigilance Investigation Bureau in Patna.
The BDO allegedly demanded the money to approve funds under Panchayati Raj Department development schemes.
His maternal uncle, Bachchan Prasad Singh , present at the residence, was also taken for questioning.
The arrest followed a separate controversy on 31 August involving an altercation with former Mukhiya Sanjeev Mandal , who was subsequently arrested and sent to judicial custody.
Both accused are expected to be produced before the Special Vigilance Court, Patna .
The Bihar Vigilance Investigation Bureau on Tuesday, 1 September arrested Amit Pratap Singh, Block Development Officer (BDO) of Phulidumar block in Banka district, while he was allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹75,000 at his private residence in Nehru Colony, Banka town. The trap operation, led by a DSP-rank officer, was triggered by a written complaint filed by Phulidumar Block Pramukh Gautam Prakash with the Vigilance Bureau in Patna.
How the Trap Was Laid
According to the Vigilance Department, Gautam Prakash alleged that the BDO had been demanding ₹75,000 in exchange for granting administrative approval and facilitating the release of funds under various development schemes of the Panchayati Raj Department. Following a preliminary verification that reportedly confirmed the bribe demand, the bureau constituted a dedicated trap team.
On Tuesday morning, the team reached Amit Pratap Singh's residence in Nehru Colony. The Block Pramukh handed over the agreed amount to the BDO, at which point Vigilance personnel immediately apprehended him. His maternal uncle, Bachchan Prasad Singh, who was present at the residence, was also taken in for questioning. Both were escorted to the Banka Circuit House for further interrogation.
A Second Controversy the Day Before
The arrest came just a day after the BDO was embroiled in a separate incident. On Monday, 31 August, a heated altercation and scuffle allegedly broke out between Amit Pratap Singh and former Mukhiya Sanjeev Mandal over the issuance of a birth certificate. Following a complaint lodged by the BDO in connection with that incident, police arrested Sanjeev Mandal and sent him to judicial custody. The BDO's own arrest on bribery charges the very next day has drawn sharp scrutiny to the sequence of events.
Impact on Administrative Circles in Banka
The arrest has sent ripples through administrative circles in Banka, from the Phulidumar block office to the district headquarters. Anti-corruption operations of this nature — involving a serving BDO caught red-handed — are relatively uncommon at the block level and are expected to prompt heightened scrutiny of fund disbursement processes under the Panchayati Raj Department across the district.
What Happens Next
The Vigilance team is currently completing the necessary legal formalities. Amit Pratap Singh and Bachchan Prasad Singh are expected to be produced before the Special Vigilance Court in Patna for further proceedings. The case is likely to draw attention to oversight mechanisms governing development fund approvals at the block level in Bihar.
Point of View
But the timing is what makes this case worth watching. A day before his own arrest, Amit Pratap Singh had filed a complaint that sent a former Mukhiya to judicial custody — a sequence that raises questions about whether the bribery complaint was a counter-move or a coincidence. More broadly, block-level fund approvals under the Panchayati Raj framework have long been flagged as a weak link in Bihar's development spending chain. A single trap operation will not fix structural oversight gaps; it will take sustained audit mechanisms to do that.
NationPress
1 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was BDO Amit Pratap Singh arrested in Banka?
Amit Pratap Singh, Block Development Officer of Phulidumar block in Banka district, was arrested on 1 September by the Bihar Vigilance Investigation Bureau while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹75,000. He had reportedly demanded the amount to grant administrative approval and facilitate fund withdrawals under Panchayati Raj Department schemes.
Who filed the complaint against the BDO?
Phulidumar Block Pramukh Gautam Prakash filed a written complaint with the Vigilance Bureau in Patna, alleging that the BDO was demanding ₹75,000 in exchange for approving development scheme funds. The bureau conducted a preliminary verification before constituting a trap team.
What happened with the BDO's maternal uncle Bachchan Prasad Singh?
Bachchan Prasad Singh, the BDO's maternal uncle, was present at the residence in Nehru Colony when the arrest was made. Vigilance personnel took him along with the BDO to the Banka Circuit House for questioning.
What was the separate controversy involving the BDO the day before?
On 31 August, a scuffle allegedly broke out between Amit Pratap Singh and former Mukhiya Sanjeev Mandal over the issuance of a birth certificate. Following a complaint by the BDO, police arrested Sanjeev Mandal and sent him to judicial custody — just a day before the BDO himself was arrested on bribery charges.
Where will the accused be tried?
Amit Pratap Singh and Bachchan Prasad Singh are expected to be produced before the Special Vigilance Court in Patna, which handles cases investigated by the Bihar Vigilance Investigation Bureau.
