The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested a clerk posted at the SDM office in Dharamjaigarh, Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh, for allegedly accepting a ₹1 lakh bribe in a land-related case.
The accused clerk attempted to evade arrest by throwing the bribe money outside his house, but was caught red-handed after the ACB team forcibly entered his residence and recovered the cash.
Bribe Demanded for Cancelling Complaint
According to officials, the clerk had demanded a bribe from a local resident in exchange for interfering in a land mutation process and cancelling a complaint related to the property.
The complainant, Raju Kumar Yadav, a resident of Amlitikra village, told the ACB that he had legally purchased a piece of land and completed the registration. However, the clerk, identified as Anil Kumar Chelak, later claimed that the land had been wrongly registered and that a complaint had been filed against both the buyer and the seller.
The clerk allegedly demanded ₹2 lakh to cancel the complaint and “settle” the matter.
ACB Trap Operation
Following the complaint, the Bilaspur ACB unit conducted a verification and found the allegations to be genuine. A trap was then planned.
On January 2, the complainant was sent to the clerk’s government residence with ₹1 lakh as part of the trap amount. When the clerk accepted the money, he reportedly became suspicious and shut the door.
ACB officials then forced their way inside, during which the clerk threw the cash behind a wall in an attempt to destroy evidence. The ACB team recovered the bribe amount from the spot.
Arrest and Investigation
ACB DSP Ajitesh Singh confirmed that the clerk was arrested and further investigation is underway. Officials described the operation as one of the major anti-corruption actions of the year in the region.
The accused is expected to be produced before the court, and proceedings under the Prevention of Corruption Act have been initiated.
