In a major crackdown against official corruption, the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Panipat, Haryana, arrested a female village secretary red-handed while accepting a substantial bribe. The accused official, identified as Kiran, was apprehended for demanding and taking a bribe of Rs 1 lakh in exchange for clearing pending development bills worth Rs 15 lakh submitted by a local contractor. Acting swiftly on a formal complaint, the ACB laid a strategic trap and caught the official in the act of accepting the cash, recovering the entire bribe amount on the spot.
Extortion Despite Brotherly Ties and Festive Gifts
The complainant, contractor Rajkumar, revealed startling details in his statement to the investigating authorities regarding his professional and personal association with the official. Rajkumar shared that he treated village secretary Kiran as his sister and regularly visited her home during festivals such as Teej to present traditional festive gifts, locally known as 'kothli'. Despite maintaining this respectful personal bond and honoring customary obligations, the official allegedly continued to demand monetary kickbacks for performing her official duties, showing no leniency toward the contractor.
Earlier Payments of Rs 7 Lakh and the Fresh Demand
According to contractor Rajkumar, this was not an isolated demand for money. He alleged that Kiran had already extracted approximately Rs 7 lakh from him on previous occasions under the pretext of approving earlier work bills. When the time came to process his remaining government bills amounting to Rs 15 lakh, the village secretary allegedly put forward a fresh demand for money. Initially, she demanded a bribe of Rs 1,20,000, but following negotiations and discussions, the sum was finalized at Rs 1,00,000. Distressed by the constant financial extortion, Rajkumar decided to approach law enforcement agencies.
Strategic ACB Trap and Red Handed Apprehension
Upon receiving the complaint, the Anti Corruption Bureau conducted a preliminary inquiry to verify the allegations before organizing a trap operation. Under the planned maneuver, the contractor was sent to the designated meeting point equipped with marked currency notes to deliver the agreed sum. As soon as village secretary Kiran accepted the Rs 1 lakh bribe from Rajkumar, the ACB team waiting nearby swooped in and apprehended her on the spot. The officers seized the bribe money directly from her possession and secured the physical evidence.
Ongoing Investigation and Broader Implication
Following the arrest, the ACB registered a case against Kiran under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and launched further legal proceedings. An ACB official confirmed that the underlying contractor bills totaled Rs 15 lakh. Investigators are currently examining whether any other officials or staff members within the department were complicit in the bribery scheme. The swift operation by the anti-corruption agency has generated widespread panic among corrupt public servants in the district.
