Patna, June 1: In a significant anti-corruption initiative, the Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB) has apprehended a Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) from the electricity department in Bihar’s Banka district for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹20,000.
The operation took place on Monday at the Rajoun electricity sub-division office. The arrested official has been identified as Bijendra Kumar, the SDO of the electricity department.
Following the successful operation, the vigilance team took him into custody and transported him to Patna for further legal action and questioning.
According to vigilance officials, the case originated from a complaint filed by Manoj Kumar Yadav, a resident of Ghasiya village in the Dhuraiya police station area. Yadav had applied to convert his domestic electricity connection into a commercial one.
It is alleged that the SDO demanded a bribe to process the department’s legitimate work. The complainant claimed that the initial demand was ₹200,000, which was later reduced to ₹30,000.
Refusing to pay the bribe, Manoj Kumar Yadav lodged a written complaint with the Vigilance Investigation Bureau in Patna, requesting action against the official.
Upon receiving the complaint, the vigilance department conducted a discreet investigation into the allegations. After gathering prima facie evidence, officials devised a plan to catch the accused red-handed.
As part of the operation, the complainant was instructed to hand over the agreed amount. On Monday, when the SDO allegedly accepted the first installment of ₹20,000, the vigilance team intervened and arrested him on the spot.
The operation was led by Vigilance DSP Satyendra Ram and executed by a specially formed ten-member raiding team. The team included police inspectors Radheshyam Ram and Ashmit Kumar, as well as sub-inspectors Shashikant Singh, Rahul Kumar, Randhir Singh, and Pankaj Kumar Singh.
Officials reported that all necessary procedural and technical formalities were completed at the scene. This included verifying the serial numbers of the notes and conducting chemical tests to prove the transactions involving the marked notes.
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