S Prasad Caught Red-Handed Accepting Rs 5,000 for Clearing Scheme Payments
Key Points:
- ACB lays trap in Dindakuli panchayat of Deoghar’s Karon block
- Bribe sought for clearing payments under MNREGA TCB work
- Three villagers helped expose graft; locals welcome the action
DEOGHAR – The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Wednesday arrested a MNREGA junior engineer in Deoghar’s Karon block while he was accepting Rs 5,000 as a bribe linked to scheme payments.
Three local men played a decisive part in bringing the case to light. Bhim Rana, Janmanjhay Rana and Vishwanath Rawani passed crucial information to the investigating agency. Their tip-off set the entire operation in motion.
The accused has been identified as Santosh Prasad. He was posted as a junior engineer under MNREGA in the block.
Moreover, the case relates to TCB work in the Dindakuli panchayat. Such trench-cum-bund structures are built for soil and water conservation. The work was being carried out under the rural job guarantee scheme.
According to officials, Prasad had demanded money from a beneficiary. In addition, the payment was sought for clearing dues and other processes. The scheme guarantees 100 days of wage employment to rural households.
Meanwhile, the bureau acted after receiving a formal complaint. Its team, which operates from Ranchi, first conducted a discreet verification. The allegations were found to be true during this exercise.
The sleuths then laid a trap near the work site. Prasad was caught red-handed with the tainted cash of Rs 5,000.
He was taken into custody soon after the operation. Besides, officials have begun questioning him about the demand. Further legal proceedings against him are now underway.
On the other hand, residents of the area have welcomed the arrest. “Honest people finally feel heard. Such raids must continue,” a local villager said.
The bureau has pursued several graft cases across the state recently. It had earlier trapped two engineers in a similar corruption case. However, complaints about irregularities in rural schemes keep surfacing in Deoghar and other districts. Agencies have also pursued a multi-crore treasury scam in Bokaro.
