State Vigilance team nabbed a block marketing officer Basudev Ram, posted in Chatra District, red-handed taking Rs 20,000 as bribe from a ration shop dealer of Patthalgadda block, Nandkishore Gandhi from his Hazaribagh town residence.
After taking the marketing officer in custody, the vigilance searched his house from where they seized Rs 1.90 lakh cash, ornaments and documents related to purchase of land and other wealthy items. Vigilance Magistrate Hriday Kumar said that they will register a case of taking bribe and having disproportionate property against the accused.
Dealer Nandkishore Gandhi, who had informed State Vigilance department about the demand of bribe, said that Marketing Officer Basudev Ram was in dual charge of two blocks namely Patthalgadda and lavalong of Chatra district. After his appointment in Patthalgadda block, he had started taking Rs 50 for each bag of rice and Rs 100 for each tin of kerosene oil. Recently, he had demanded Rs 60000 from all the 22 PDS shop dealers and had threatened that if they will not pay it he will recommend for cancellation of their dealership.
After this demand, he finally decided to contact the State Vigilance department and as per the instructions of departmental officials talked with MO Basudev Ram to take the money in three installments of Rs 20,000 each in three months.
On Thursday, Basudev Ram had called him at his Hazaribagh residence with the amount of first installment. At about 8 am after getting the green signal of vigilance team members Gandhi pressed the call bell button of MO’s residence. Ram came out and called the dealer inside the room.
After giving Rs 20,000 to the Marketing Officer, Nandkishore Gandhi came out of the room by making excuse to spit and signaled the vigilance team members who were waiting outside. The team members immediately entered into the house and caught the corrupt officer with the amount taken as bribe.
After searching his house the vigilance team departed for Patthalgadda to search his office chamber and almirah etc. From there they will go to lavalong and then to Ranchi.
In the vigilance team besides Magistrate Hriday Kumar, DSP Avdhesh Kumar Singh, Inspector Hardev Narayan Mandal and SIs Kishore Tirkey and Jitendra Dubey were included.