Patna, February 19 – The Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) arrested a junior engineer posted in Sahibganj, under the Muzaffarpur district, on Thursday while he was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 9,000, officials said.
The accused, identified as Aman Kumar, was apprehended during a raid conducted by the SVU following a complaint alleging demand for illegal gratification.
The arrest has raised concerns within government departments in the district and highlighted the ongoing efforts by vigilance authorities to curb corruption in public offices.
According to official sources, the complainant, Rajkumar Tiwari, had submitted a written complaint to the SVU office in Patna, alleging that the junior engineer was demanding a bribe of Rs 25,000 in exchange for granting permission and expediting work related to laying paving blocks in Sahibganj under the Muzaffarpur district.
Acting on the complaint, the Vigilance Department conducted a discreet verification exercise, during which the allegations were found to be prima facie true, officials said. Following confirmation of the complaint, a special raid team led by SVU Deputy Superintendent of Police Raj Kumar Singh was constituted to conduct the raid.
As part of the pre-planned operation, the complainant handed over Rs 9,000 as the first installment of the allegedly demanded bribe amount to the accused junior engineer. Immediately thereafter, the SVU team apprehended Aman Kumar at the scene while accepting the bribe amount.
The SVU has registered Case No. 07/26 at the Special Vigilance Unit Police Station in Patna in connection with the incident. The accused has been booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and was taken to Patna for further interrogation and legal proceedings.
Vigilance officials stated that further investigation is underway, additional evidence is being collected, and the possible involvement of other individuals in the case is also being examined. The SVU reiterated that such anti-corruption measures and raid operations will continue to ensure transparency, accountability, and integrity in government services.
Earlier, on February 17, the Special Vigilance Unit had arrested the in-charge District Agriculture Officer of Muzaffarpur and his driver while they were allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000.
The vigilance team arrested Himanshu Kumar, the in-charge District Agriculture Officer, and his driver, Rambabu Rai, during a similar raid conducted in Muzaffarpur district.
According to officials, the Agriculture Officer was allegedly accepting bribes of Rs 50,000 from fertiliser shopkeepers through his driver, who acted as an intermediary in collecting illegal payments.