Jharkhand ACB Nabs Two Employees for Bribery in Land Acquisition
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Ranchi/Deoghar, March 13 (NationPress) - In a persistent effort to combat corruption, the Jharkhand Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) apprehended two officials from the District Land Acquisition Office in Deoghar on Friday for allegedly accepting a bribe from a beneficiary.
The individuals involved have been named as Niranjan and Nunu Dev, who were caught in the act while accepting money intended to expedite the disbursement of compensation for land acquired for the Ring Road project, as per official reports.
According to the ACB, the accused were demanding a commission of five percent on the total compensation amount from a beneficiary. Acting on a complaint, the bureau verified the claims, which were confirmed to be accurate.
Following this verification, an ACB team set up a sting operation and caught the two employees as they accepted the bribe. The cash was also seized during this operation.
Officials reported that significant land acquisition is currently in progress in Deoghar for the proposed Ring Road project, with landowners entitled to government compensation for their acquired land.
However, it was alleged that certain employees within the Land Acquisition Office were soliciting bribes from beneficiaries to release their compensation payments.
After repeated solicitations for money, one of the affected beneficiaries contacted the ACB and filed a formal complaint, indicating that he was being coerced into paying a bribe to obtain his rightful compensation.
Upon verifying the complaint, the ACB proceeded with the sting operation and arrested both accused employees on Friday.
The apprehended individuals have been transported to Dumka for further investigation and to complete the necessary legal procedures, as stated by officials.
Earlier, on Thursday, the ACB detained a police sub-inspector in Koderma and a woman Panchayat secretary in Gumla for their alleged involvement in accepting bribes.
The ACB has encouraged the public to report any instances of government officials demanding bribes for official services, assuring that strict actions will be taken against those engaged in corrupt practices.