LUCKNOW, Jan. 28 -- The Uttar Pradesh Vigilance Establishment on Tuesday arrested a junior engineer of the irrigation department in Meerut while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs.2 lakh from a contractor. A search conducted after the trap led to the recovery of Rs.10 lakh, vigilance officials said. The accused, Brajraj Singh, posted as a junior engineer in the office of the executive engineer, Meerut Ganga Canal Division, was caught red-handed by the Vigilance Establishment's Meerut sector team on Tuesday while taking the bribe, officials said in a press note. According to vigilance officials, the complainant manages the work of his father's registered firm, which undertakes civil contracts such as canal cleaning and small bridge construction for the irrigation department. The firm had been awarded restoration work on the Machhri Minor canal from km 0.800 to km 1.600 under the contract agreement. The work was completed between December 1 and December 30, 2025, but full payment was not released. When the complainant approached Singh regarding the pending dues, the junior engineer allegedly told him that he had reported only half the work as complete and managed to get partial payment released. He allegedly demanded a commission in return for certifying the remaining work and facilitating the balance payment. Officials said Rs.4,32,644 had been credited to the firm's account on January 14, 2026. Singh allegedly calculated that around Rs.3.71 lakh remained payable after statutory deductions and demanded Rs.3 lakh as commission, threatening to withhold further payment and completion certification if the bribe was not paid. Unwilling to pay, the complainant approached the Vigilance Establishment and sought action. Acting on the complaint, vigilance officials laid a trap and caught Singh while allegedly accepting Rs.2 lakh as part of the bribe demand. During a search following the arrest, officials recovered Rs.7.46 lakh from his car and Rs.54,000 from his pocket, bringing the total cash seized to Rs.10 lakh, including the bribe amount. A case is being registered against the accused under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and investigation is underway to verify the source of the recovered money and examine possible involvement of others, officials said....