Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): In yet another case of bribery, the Lokayukta arrested Deputy General Manager (DGM) of the Solar Panel Department at Jabalpur’s Shakti Bhawan for accepting a bribe of ₹30k through his associate on Friday.
The incident came to light after Lokayukta conducted a raid at Shakti Bhawan headquarters of MP power companies in Jabalpur, acting on a complaint.
According to information, Roshni Solar Company from Nagpur had applied online to renew its license at Shakti Bhawan. As per the process, the application required approval from the Assistant DGM (ADGM) and then the DGM. However, DGM Himanshu Agrawal demanded ₹40k to move the process forward. After negotiations, the bribe amount was settled at ₹30k.
Lokayukta laid trap after complaint
While speaking to the media an employee from the company informed that, Vishnu Lodhi lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta about the bribe demand. Acting swiftly, the Lokayukta team laid a trap. When Vishnu Lodhi arrived at Shakti Bhawan with the money, Himanshu Agrawal avoided taking the bribe directly and instead directed Lodhi to hand over the money to his associate, Himanshu Yadav.
According to Lokayukta DSP Surekha Parmar, "The DGM of the Solar Panel Department at Shakti Bhawan, Himanshu Agrawal, demanded a bribe. Today, we caught his associate, Himanshu Yadav, accepting ₹30k on his behalf. Both individuals are being booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act."
Vishnu Lodhi demands strict action
Vishnu Lodhi, on the other hand, expressed frustration over the corruption in government offices. He stated, "While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting solar energy and encouraging citizens to install solar panels, such corrupt officials are sabotaging these efforts. Strict action should be taken against them." He also mentioned that he had been visiting the DGM's office for the past 15 days before filing the complaint.
