JE posted in BDO office held on graft charge

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, March 17

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested Vinay Kumar, a junior engineer of Panchayati Raj Department, on corruption charges.

SP vigilance Balbir Thakur, said here yesterday that Vinay Kumar was posted in BDO office in Bhavarna area of Kangra district. Vijay Pathania, a resident of Palampur tehsil, said the accused junior engineer was seeking Rs 5,000 for releasing second instalment for the construction of a community centre in Charkhola village.

The community centre in the village was being built with a grant of Rs 9.90 lakh provided by the Kangra Deputy Commissioner and Rs 1.60 lakh collected by the people of the village, the complainant had told the vigilance department.

Following the information provided by the complainant, the vigilance laid a trap and caught him red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000.

A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused junior engineer, the SP vigilance Balbir Thakur said.

Notably, Vinay Kumar was caught red-handed while accepting bribe in 2019 as well, when he was posted in the office of the Baijnath BDO. A team of Vigilance Department had recovered a sum of Rs 78,000 from his possession at that time. He is still facing those charges and the matter is pending in the court.