Kolkata, Oct. 6 -- The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the West Bengal Police on Tuesday arrested a Sub-Assistant Engineer (SAE) of the West Bengal State Rural Development Agency under the state Panchayat and Rural Development department for accepting a bribe.
According to police, in 2023, a contractor was engaged for a road construction at a Panchayat area with an approximate tender value of Rs 1 crore. The contractor had deposited the money as per norms and the work order was issued. After completion of the road construction work in 2025, the contractor approached the SAE of WBSRDA attached to the Hooghly Zilla Parishad for refund of the earnest money deposit.
It is alleged that the SAE demanded bribes for necessary paperwork for refund of the money. Unwilling to comply, the contractor lodged a complaint with the ACB who hatched a plan to catch the SAE red-handed. The moment the SAE accepted the cash, the undercover operatives ambushed the office. A chemical test confirmed that the engineer had handled the chemically-treated money.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.