Lucknow, May 13 -- A senior official of the Uttar Pradesh tourism department has been suspended after a purported video showing him allegedly accepting bribe money went viral on social media, triggering a major controversy and prompting swift government action.

Kalyan Singh, deputy director, tourism, came under scrutiny after the video surfaced online on Tuesday. While the authenticity of the clip has not been independently verified, the incident created panic within the department and led to immediate intervention by senior officials.

In the video, the officer is allegedly seen accepting cash from a person in exchange for "putting up a report" and placing the money inside a drawer. He is also purportedly heard assuring that the report ...