In Bihar, the Vigilance Investigation Bureau arrested Akash Kumar Rauniar, the Circle Officer of Sasaram Sadar circle in Rohtas district, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 3 lakh. His assistant, Sonu Kumar, was also taken into custody during the operation. The case involves the rectification of records related to a disputed land plot.
Vigilance DySP Pawan Kumar stated that the Circle Officer had demanded Rs 8 lakh through a revenue employee for processing the matter, which was later negotiated down to Rs 6 lakh, with an initial payment of Rs 3 lakh. The trap was set and executed at the Circle Officer’s private residence.
According to the Vigilance Department, revenue employee Rakesh Kumar arrived with the cash, which was accepted by Sonu Kumar in the presence of the Circle Officer. Vigilance personnel conducted a raid and arrested both individuals red-handed. The accused officer will be interrogated in Patna and then produced before the Vigilance Court.
The complaint that initiated the operation was filed by revenue employee Rakesh Kumar, who alleged that the Circle Officer had pressured him to collect money for every land mutation case. The officer specifically instructed him to collect Rs 8 lakh from a complainant named Ashok Prasad. A formal complaint was lodged at the Vigilance police station based on these accusations.
Earlier on the same day, the Vigilance Department arrested Satish Kumar, a clerk at the Civil Surgeon’s office in Rohtas, on bribery charges. This arrest followed a complaint by a female accountant in Sanjhauli, who claimed she was asked to pay Rs 20,000 regarding a transfer-related issue. The Vigilance team took action, laying a trap that led to the clerk’s arrest during the bribe acceptance.
