Madhya Pradesh Updates: Janpad Panchayat Accountant Caught Taking Bribe Of ₹40k; Elderly Businessman Robbed Of Rs 70k At Knifepoint

Janpad Panchayat Accountant Caught Taking bribe of ₹40k

Gandhwani/Dhar (Madhya Pradesh): A Lokayukta squad conducted an operation in the Gandhwani area on Saturday afternoon, apprehending a Janpad Panchayat accountant for accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000. The accountant, Manoj Bairagi, had allegedly demanded the bribe from Gulab Singh Ajnare, a representative of the Sarpanch, in exchange for releasing the first installment of funds for CC road construction.

The project, worth Rs 10 lakh, had already seen the release of Rs 3 lakh to the gram panchayat. However, Bairagi required a bribe to prepare a demand letter that would facilitate the release of the balance fund, which needed to be sent to the district panchayat office. Initially, Bairagi had demanded Rs 50,000 for this service.

Upon receiving the complaint from Ajnare, Lokayukta SP Rajesh Sahay verified the allegations. A monetary transaction was arranged, leading to Bairagi’s arrest when he was caught red-handed accepting Rs 40,000 in his office.

The Lokayukta team is currently registering a case against him and continuing further investigations at the Janpad Panchayat office in Gandhwani under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. This incident highlights ongoing efforts to combat corruption within local governance.

Elderly Businessman Robbed Of Rs 70k At Knifepoint

Gandhwani (Madhya Pradesh): In a shocking incident, an elderly businessman was robbed of Rs 70,000 in broad daylight by a group of six armed miscreants riding two motorcycles on Saturday morning, a police official said. The victim, Nathulal Rathore, a 60-year-old resident, was travelling in his pickup vehicle with a driver for business in Jirabad when the miscreants attacked him around 9 am near Badhiya village.

Miscreants stopped Rathore's vehicle and assaulted him with sticks and axes, injuring him in the hand. They managed to flee with Rs 70,000 at knifepoint. He received first aid at a local health centre before being referred to a district hospital for further treatment.

The incident marks the third robbery targeting traders in the area this month, raising concerns about the safety of local merchants. The police were alerted immediately and initiated a search for the culprits.

Newly appointed station in-charge Anil Jadhav stated that efforts were underway to apprehend the miscreants. SP Manoj Singh and SDOP Anu Beniwal also visited the scene to oversee the investigation and have directed the formation of a district-level police team to address the rising crime in the area.