Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Lokayukta police nabbed 229 corrupt officials/employees in 2025, with a majority belonging to the revenue, panchayat and rural development departments.
From computer operators and engineers to tehsildars and Chief Municipal Officers, government servants across ranks were caught accepting bribes. Officials from the education, police and other departments also fell into the Lokayukta net, with even teachers entrusted with imparting ethics booked for graft.
The year also witnessed a steady rise in the number of cases registered by the Lokayukta over the past three years with 229 cases in 2025, 197 in 2024 and 180 in 2023. In the 229 trap cases registered with the Lokayukta, the number of accused exceeds 300, as more than one official was involved in several cases.
Last year, 23 officials, including nine patwaris and revenue inspectors, fell into the SPE s trap. As their work is closely linked to land matters, officials were caught demanding bribes for land mutation and for transfer of property rights after the death of a family head.
In Panna, a tehsildar was caught accepting a bribe of Rs 3,000. Besides, readers to tehsildars and Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) were also arrested on graft charges.
A large number of employees from the panchayat and rural development department were also caught. Seven officials, including sarpanches, panchayat secretaries, and employment assistants, were nabbed while accepting bribes, mostly for issuing certificates at the Panchayat level
Bribe amount equal to or higher than annual salary
The bribe amount seized from officials ranged from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5 lakh. In one case, Assistant Grade-I Jeevan Lal Barar demanded Rs 5 lakh to suppress an inquiry related to a caste certificate of an employee posted in the Chhindwara Commercial Tax Office. Barar was arrested while accepting an installment of Rs 1 lakh near the Administrative Academy in Bhopal.
Number of trap cases
Year -- Cases
2025 -- 229
2024 -- 197
2023 -- 180
2022 297
Quote
The organization is acting firmly against officials and employees involved in corrupt practices. The rising number of cases shows that no rank is being spared and the organization is not functioning under any pressure or influence.
Yogesh Deshmukh, DG Lokayukta
