Raipur
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday caught an Assistant Grade-3 clerk of the Bilaspur Municipal Corporation red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000.
The accused, Laxmikant Koka, posted in the estate branch of the civic body, had demanded money from a local resident to renew a property lease.
Complainant Ajeet Shukla, a resident of Rajkishore Nagar, had agreed to buy a house belonging to Suman Shukla in the same locality. As the lease on the property had expired, the seller asked Shukla to get it renewed before registering the property transfer.
Shukla submitted a lease renewal application on the seller’s behalf at the municipal office in July 2026. During a visit to expedite the process, Koka demanded Rs 10,000 to move the file forward.
Unwilling to pay, Shukla lodged a complaint with the ACB Bilaspur unit. Officials verified the claim and laid a trap on 25 September 2026. An ACB team caught Koka red-handed as he accepted marked currency notes from the complainant inside the civic office.
Officers arrested the clerk and registered a case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (Amended 2018). Further investigation is underway.
