In a significant anti-corruption move, the Bihar Vigilance Investigation Bureau apprehended two government workers in Purnea district for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 40,000. The individuals, Lal Babu Rajak and Rumi Kundu, were caught in the act at the Purnea East block office during a planned operation by the Vigilance team. This incident has raised concerns within the administrative sector, especially as it coincides with a strike by revenue department employees in the state.
The case stemmed from a complaint by Lalita Devi from Gulabbagh (Ward No. 35), who claimed that her land’s title deed had been wrongly listed. She alleged that officials demanded Rs 50,000 to rectify the error and remove the block listing. Following verification of the complaint, a Vigilance Department operation was set up, resulting in the arrest of the accused while they accepted a portion of the bribe.
Initial findings indicate a potential organized scheme involving manipulation of land records and abuse of official positions. Lal Babu Rajak, a revenue employee overseeing key urban circles, and Rumi Kundu, responsible for document scanning in the archives section, are suspected of collaborating to exploit procedural loopholes in the land record system. This development has sparked serious apprehensions regarding corruption in land management and the operations of revenue offices at the grassroots level.
Authorities suspect a broader network and have not ruled out the involvement of other employees in the ongoing investigation. Both suspects are in custody and are undergoing questioning by the Vigilance team. They face charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, with legal proceedings already in progress. This enforcement action highlights the persistent challenges in ensuring transparency and accountability in land-related services, emphasizing the crucial role of vigilance agencies in combating corruption at the grassroots level.
