Vigilance authorities in Assam have apprehended an Assistant Executive Engineer attached to the Public Works Department (PWD) in Dibrugarh district while allegedly accepting an illicit payment of Rs 30,000. Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption personnel executed the operation on Wednesday after establishing the veracity of an extortion grievance filed by an aggrieved project contractor. The arrested official was identified as Mridul Baglary, posted at the office of the Superintending Engineer under the PWD Building Division in Dibrugarh.
Extortion Demand for Clearing Pending Project Dues
According to vigilance investigators, the enforcement action originated from a formal complaint regarding outstanding contractor payments. Baglary had allegedly withheld clearances on bills accrued during an infrastructure initiative, demanding an illegal gratification amounting to Rs 1.3 lakh to authorize the disbursement. Rather than complying with the unlawful financial demand, the contractor approached anti-corruption authorities to document the illicit transaction.
Trap Laid at Government Office and Immediate Apprehension
Upon reviewing the initial claims, the anti-corruption wing structured an on-site trap inside the PWD facility in Dibrugarh. Operatives intercepted Baglary precisely as he accepted Rs 30,000 in cash, which had been negotiated as the first tranche of the broader Rs 1.3 lakh settlement. Following the immediate detention, sleuths interrogated the engineer inside the administrative compound and seized an array of project dossiers, registers, and operational files relevant to the ongoing contracts.
Residential Search Yields Substantial Unaccounted Cash
Simultaneously, a separate search team visited Mridul Baglary's residential premises to inspect his personal assets and holdings. Investigators uncovered a substantial volume of unexplained currency notes at the residence, prompting formal confiscation under anti-corruption statutes. Inquiries remain underway to map the full perimeter of the extortion scheme and determine whether additional department personnel collaborated in delaying project disbursements to extract unlawful commissions.
