Assam
DFO of Dhubri Forest Division, Binod Kumar Payeng, had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 50 thousand from a sand mahaldar.

Guwahati: Sleuths of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Directorate (VACD) on Thursday arrested a divisional forest officer (DFO) in Assamโ€™s Dhubri district on graft charge.

The DFO of Dhubri Forest Division, Binod Kumar Payeng, had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 50 thousand from a sand mahaldar for allowing unhindered movement of vehicles from his sand mahal, within the jurisdiction of Dhubri Forest Division.

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The DFO directed the individual to meet his subordinate officers to fix a monthly system of payment of bribes. Accordingly, the sand mahaldar met the subordinate officers in the office of the Dhubri Forest Division who further demanded a bribe of Rs 4 lakh.ย 

Later, after consulting with the DFO, they reduced the bribe amount to Rs 2 lakh.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, the sand mahaldar approached the VACD to take necessary legal action in the matter.

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โ€œA trap was laid today by a team from the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Directorate in the office of the divisional forest officer, Dhubri. Ziaul Islam and Sahabaz Sultan @ Bittu, both forester grade-1 were caught red-handed at 11:35 am, immediately after they accepted Rs 15,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively, as part of the demanded bribe, in conspiracy with the DFO,โ€ police said.

โ€œThe bribe money was recovered from their possession and has been seized accordingly, in the presence of independent witnesses,โ€ they said.

โ€œThe DFO Binod Kumar Payeng was also apprehended for demanding a bribe from the complainant and accepting it through his subordinates in conspiracy with them,โ€ they also said.

โ€œFinding sufficient evidence against all the three public servants, they were arrested,โ€ they added.

A case was registered in ACB Police Station vide ACB PS case No 72/2023 under section 120 (B) IPC, read with section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.