Raipur
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday, 10 October 2025, arrested two government employees in Surajpur and Bilaspur districts for allegedly accepting bribes.
In Surajpur, Chandu Ram Nayak, Assistant Engineer (in-charge of Chief Engineer, Machinery) at Maa Mahamaya Sahkari Shakkar Karkhana Maryadit, Kerta, was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of ₹50,000.
The complainant, Pradeep Kumar, from Podipa village, Latori Tehsil, had approached the ACB, Ambikapur, stating that he was appointed as a DC Drive Operator on a contract basis at the Karkhana in 2024. Nayak had initially taken ₹1 lakh from him as ‘caution money’ without issuing any receipt.
After one year, Nayak demanded another ₹1 lakh for the continuation of service and threatened termination if the demand was not met. Kumar was subsequently dismissed from service on 8 September 2025. When he requested reappointment, Nayak demanded a bribe of ₹1 lakh. The complainant refused to pay and approached the ACB, which conducted a trap operation on 10 October 2025, catching Nayak accepting the first instalment of ₹50,000.
In Bilaspur, Manoj Tondekar, a Babu in the Tribal Development Department, was arrested while accepting a bribe of ₹10,000.
Complainant Abhilash Barman, from Nipaniya village, stated that he belongs to a Scheduled Caste and had performed an inter-caste marriage. The government provides an incentive of ₹2.5 lakh for such marriages. Tondekar demanded a ₹10,000 bribe to process the payment. The complainant refused and sought ACB intervention, which conducted a trap operation and caught Tondekar in the act.
Both Chandu Ram Nayak and Manoj Tondekar were arrested and cases were registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018).
