Lokayukta Team Busted Bribe Deal In MP's Neemuch; Two Tribal Welfare Officials Held With ₹1 Lakh Cash

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Lokayukta police in Ujjain division on Thursday caught two officials of the Tribal Welfare Department while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹1 lakh in Madhya Pradesh's Neemuch district.

The accused have been identified as Rakesh Rathore, District Coordinator of the Tribal Welfare Department, and Harish Chauhan, Superintendent of an Excellence Boys' Hostel in Neemuch.

According to Lokayukta officials, the complainant, Kurdula Ekka, is posted as the superintendent of a Junior Girls' Hostel in Kukdeshwar, Neemuch. She had earlier been suspended over alleged irregularities in the hostel, and a departmental inquiry was initiated against her.

The complainant alleged that the two officials demanded ₹1.25 lakh to help her in the departmental inquiry and to facilitate the release of her pending salary.

After receiving the complaint, the Lokayukta team verified the allegations and laid a trap. During the operation, the officials were caught allegedly accepting ₹1 lakh as part of the demanded bribe amount.

Officials said the cash was recovered from the right pocket of Harish Chauhan's trousers.

A case has been registered against both accused under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Further investigation is underway.

The trap operation was carried out by a team led by DSP Dinesh Chandra Patel under the guidance of senior Lokayukta officials.