ALWAR – In a significant crackdown on corruption within the state’s utility departments, the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday apprehended a lineman from the Electricity Department’s Vigilance Wing in Kishangarh Bas while he was accepting a bribe of ₹25,000.
The Extortion Plot
The accused, identified as Sandeep, was posted in the Vigilance Wing of the Jaipur Vidhyut Vitran Nigam Limited (JVVNL). According to ACB officials, Sandeep had allegedly threatened a local consumer with a high-penalty Vigilance Check Report (VCR) for alleged electricity theft. To “settle” the matter and ensure the report was never filed, the lineman demanded a bribe of ₹25,000.
The Trap Operation
Unwilling to pay the bribe, the consumer approached the Alwar ACB unit and lodged a formal complaint. Under the direction of Deputy SP Shabbir Khan, the bureau conducted a confidential verification of the complaint, which confirmed the lineman’s demand.
Following the verification, a strategic trap was laid on Thursday. As soon as the victim handed over the marked currency notes to Sandeep in Kishangarh Bas, the ACB team, which was lying in wait, swooped in and caught him red-handed. The entire bribe amount was recovered from his possession on the spot.
Investigation into Senior Officials
Following the arrest, the ACB team escorted the accused to the Junior Engineer (JEN) office in Kishangarh Bas, where he was subjected to hours of intense interrogation.
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“We are currently investigating the depth of this racket,” stated an ACB official. “A primary focus of our probe is to determine if Sandeep was operating alone or if the extorted money was being shared with higher-ranking officials within the vigilance department.”
Legal Proceedings
A case has been registered against Sandeep under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The bureau is also expected to conduct searches at the accused’s residence and examine recent VCRs filed by his unit to check for a pattern of similar extortion.
