Chhattisgarh: ACB Traps Four Government Officials Taking Bribes in Three Separate Operations
Raipur: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday carried out three separate trap operations across Chhattisgarh and arrested four government officials on bribery charges. The operations were conducted in the Janjgir-Champa, Bastar, and Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur (MCB) districts.
According to ACB officials, those arrested include a Patwari, a Computer Operator, a Clerk, and a Sub-Engineer. All four were caught red-handed while accepting bribes in exchange for processing official work, document clearance, and payment approvals.
Janjgir-Champa: Rs 1.80 lakh bribe for land compensation
The ACB’s Bilaspur unit arrested Patwari Bihari Singh and Operator Rajkumar from the Land Acquisition branch of the SDM office, Champa. They were caught taking a bribe of Rs 1.80 lakh from complainant Budhram Dheewar, a resident of Raipura in Sakti district.
Dheewar had alleged that his land in Kausamanda village (Janjgir district) was acquired for the National Highway construction project, and he, along with his sister, received a compensation amount of Rs 35,64,099 in August 2025. The officials demanded a bribe to “help” withdraw the compensation money.
After verification, the ACB set up a trap and caught both officials red-handed while accepting the cash. A case has been registered against them under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Bastar: Clerk caught taking Rs 25,000 for snakebite compensation
In a separate operation, the ACB’s Jagdalpur unit arrested Hem Kumar Panigrahi, a clerk posted at the Tehsil Office, Darbha (Bastar district).
The complainant, Samnath Baghel, reported that his wife Sambarti Baghel had died from a snakebite on May 27, 2025. Panigrahi allegedly demanded Rs 50,000 to process the snakebite compensation claim, which was later negotiated to Rs 25,000.
During the trap operation on Thursday, ACB officials caught Panigrahi red-handed while accepting the bribe. He has been booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
MCB: Sub-Engineer held for Rs 21,000 bribe
The ACB’s Ambikapur unit arrested Sub-Engineer C.P. Banjare of the Public Works Department (PWD), Manendragarh, in Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur (MCB) district.
Complainant Ankit Mishra, a resident of Amakherwa Road, Manendragarh, stated that after completing the construction of a bar room extension at the Manendragarh Civil Court, he approached Banjare for verification to clear the pending bills. The Sub-Engineer demanded Rs 25,000, which was later settled at Rs 21,000.
The ACB team laid a trap and caught Banjare red-handed while taking the bribe. He has also been booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
According to the ACB, the Bilaspur, Jagdalpur, and Ambikapur units coordinated the operations simultaneously, showcasing the agency’s ongoing crackdown on corruption across government departments in the state.
