ACB traps Saraiyahat Head Clerk taking bribe
KUMAR PRABHAT
DUMKA
In an aggressive push against administrative malfeasance, the Dumka wing of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted a successful sting operation on Thursday, catching a senior block official red-handed. Anand Bhardwaj, serving as the head clerk at the Saraiyahat Block-cum-Circle office, was taken into custody while accepting an initial bribe installment of Rs 5,000.
The trap materialized after a local complainant approached the anti-graft agency with details of systematic extortion. According to investigative details, Bhardwaj had explicitly demanded a hefty gratification amount of Rs 25,000 to process and clear a crucial official report linked to an ongoing land dispute. Reluctant to succumb to the illicit demand, the aggrieved citizen lodged a formal complaint with the Dumka ACB headquarters.
Following a swift verification process that confirmed the veracity of the claim, a special vigilance team laid a precise trap at the block office premises. As the marked currency changed hands, waiting ACB operatives moved in instantly, recovering the bribe money directly from the clerk’s possession.
The high-profile arrest triggered panic among the block personnel, drawing crowds of local onlookers as the suspect was quickly escorted away by the anti-corruption squad. Bhardwaj was brought directly to the ACB regional office in Dumka for rigorous interrogation. A formal case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been booked against him, and he is expected to be produced before the special vigilance court following a comprehensive medical check-up.
