Govt staffer caught taking bribe to process compensation for land acquisiton in Jalna

Jalna, Jan 2 (PTI) An official from the irrigation department in Maharashtra's Jalna district was caught while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh to process the compensation for land acquisition, an official said on Friday.

Based on a complaint, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) caught Rohit Pralhad Deshmukh (35), an executive engineer with the minor irrigation department, red-handed as he accepted the bribe amount at his office on Thursday, the official said.

According to the ACB, the government had acquired the complainant's agricultural land, and the accused official allegedly demanded Rs 7 lakh to process the compensation for it.

The complainant initially paid him Rs 4 lakh, but Deshmukh harassed him for the remaining sum after the compensation of Rs 1.88 crore was credited in July last year, the official said.

The accused also took blank cheques to hand over the compensation related to the complainant's Gaothan house, and tired of the continued harassment, the latter approached the ACB, he added.

He said that a case will be registered against the accused official under the Prevention of Corruption Act. PTI COR ARU