Patwari caught taking bribe of Rs 10,000 in Hisar

A revenue clerk (patwari), Mangat Ram, was caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 at Patwar Bhawan in Hisar on Friday. He is the uncle of BJP leader and former minister Anoop Dhanak.

According to the ACB, Mangat Ram had allegedly demanded the bribe to process a land mutation. The complainant, Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Chautha Mill area, approached the ACB and lodged a complaint.

Acting on the tip-off, an ACB team led by Inspector Mahender Singh laid a trap and caught Mangat Ram while he was accepting marked currency notes from the complainant.

Ramesh Kumar explained that his father owned 14 kanal of land, of which 7 kanal was transferred to him and the remaining to his brother's children two months ago. “I approached patwari Mangat Ram for the mutation, and he demanded Rs 12,000. When I went again on July 30 with my wife, he reduced the demand to Rs 10,000,” Ramesh said.

He then reported the matter to the ACB, which provided him with the marked currency. As soon as Mangat Ram accepted the bribe at Patwar Bhawan, he was apprehended and the full amount was recovered on the spot.

Police said a case has been registered and Mangat Ram, who was re-employed post-retirement, will be produced in court tomorrow.