Garhwal Post Bureau
Kichha, 9 Apr: Vigilance teams have arrested two government employees red-handed while accepting bribes in two separate trap operations, one in Kichha in district Udham Singh Nagar and the other in Lamgada Block of Almora.
In Kichha, Senior Horticulture Inspector Badal Pandey was apprehended by the trap team of the Vigilance Department from the Horticulture Mobile Unit Centre today. The action against the senior horticulture inspector was taken in view of the complaint that he had demanded Rs 12,000 as bribe in return for granting permission to cut down 16 mango trees. The complainant had purchased mango trees from cultivators in village Gaughat and was required to obtain official permission from the Horticulture Department for felling them. Pandey allegedly demanded Rs 12,000 for issuing the necessary approval. The complaint was lodged on the Vigilance Department’s toll-free number 1064, and upon preliminary verification, the allegations were found to be true. A case was registered at the Vigilance Establishment Police Station, Haldwani and under the supervision of the SP, a trap team was constituted. Acting swiftly, the team laid a trap and caught Pandey red-handed while accepting Rs 12,000 from the complainant at his office in the Horticulture Mobile Unit Centre, Kichha. Pandey, son of Bachi Ram Pandey and resident of Shakti Vihar, Tallital Haldwani near Teen Pani, close to the old ITI, was taken into custody immediately. He is being interrogated and further investigations are also underway in the case.
Meanwhile, in another case, Accountant Har Singh Bisht alias Harish Singh Bisht, posted at Lamgada block in Almora, was arrested by the Vigilance Establishment’s Haldwani trap team yesterday afternoon. Bisht was caught red-handed while accepting Rs 15,000 as bribe from the complainant in the block office. The allegation was that he had demanded Rs 15,000 in exchange for releasing the Fixed Deposit Receipt (FDR) related to a toilet construction project worth Rs 3 lakhs from the contractor. Following the complaint, the team conducted the operation and apprehended him while taking the money.
