Lekhpal caught red-handed accepting 1.5 lakh bribe

Muzaffarnagar: A Lekhpal, holding a clerical government post in Kol Tehsil, Aligarh, was caught red-handed on Monday evening while accepting a bribe, said police. The Vigilance team from Agra, acting on the victim's complaint, arrested Narayan Pratap Singh in the act of receiving Rs 1.50 lakh in bribe money. Singh had demanded the bribe in exchange for expediting a report on land compensation, officials said, adding that a case has been registered against him under the relevant section, and he has been remanded to judicial custody.After receiving a complaint, officials conducted a confidential investigation into the matter. Preliminary findings revealed that the accused had solicited a bribe from the victim. Subsequently, a team was assembled and a trap was set to arrest him. An envelope containing Rs 1.50 lakh was entrusted to Rakesh Sharma, who runs a shop in the Gandhi Park area. Upon the Lekhpal's arrival to collect the bribe, the vigilant team swiftly moved in and arrested him at the scene. He was promptly transported to Agra late at night, said officials.A case has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act at the Vigilance police station in Agra, said police. UP vigilance director general Rajeev Krishna told TOI, "We are working on zero tolerance on corruption across UP." In similar incidents earlier this year, a revenue clerk in Farrukhabad and a police sub-inspector in Muzaffarnagar were also arrested for bribery.