Forest guard caught taking bribe

Balaghat, Sep 18 (PTI) The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday caught red-handed a forest guard while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 in Balaghat district.

Mattam Nagpure (56), posted in Lalbarra forest range, was caught while receiving money from complainant Rajendra Dhurve, a tribal resident of Navegaon village, the EOW said in a release.

Nagpure had allegedly demanded Rs 3.5 lakh from Dhurve for processing documents related to rehabilitation compensation.

Authorities said three forest villages, including Navegaon, are being relocated from the Sonewani sanctuary. Each displaced family is entitled to Rs 15 lakh as compensation, of which the first instalment of Rs 5 lakh has already been deposited in their bank accounts.

After Nagpure demanded money, Dhurve approached the EOW which laid a trap near the SBI branch in Lalbarra. "I withdrew Rs 50,000 from the bank and showed him withdrawal slips for the remaining Rs 3 lakh. At that point, the EOW team caught him taking the money," Dhurve told reporters.

Nagpure was booked under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and further probe was on, the release stated. PTI COR LAL KRK