Labourer’s child drowns in construction pit, 2 cops ask for 50k bribe to settle case, held

Raipur: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested two police officials in a bribery case in Koriya district after catching one of them red-handed while accepting Rs 25,000 from a complainant in exchange for settling a case.According to officials, the complainant, Satyendra Kumar Prajapati, had approached police after a labourer's child drowned in a water-filled pit during construction work at his house. The case was under inquiry, during which an assistant sub-inspector allegedly demanded Rs 50,000 to dilute the legal action. After verification, the accused allegedly agreed to accept Rs 25,000. The complainant later reported the matter to the ACB, which laid a trap. On Feb 24, sub-inspector Abdul Munaf was caught accepting the bribe amount, following which assistant sub-inspector Guru Prasad Yadav was also arrested for his role in the demand. Both accused have been booked under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and legal action is underway, officials said. Key Accused In Coal Levy ‘Scam' HeldIn another development, ACB has arrested a key accused who was at large in coal levy ‘scam' for nearly two and a half years and is believed to have played a crucial role in collecting illegal coal levies by routing funds within the network.The accused, identified as Narayan Sahu, was taken into custody in connection with Crime No. 03/2024. ACB officials said Sahu was a close associate of prime accused Suryakant Tiwari and was actively involved in collecting coal levy amounts and transferring money to various channels linked to the syndicate. Investigators also found that properties had allegedly been purchased in Sahu's name using funds linked to the illegal levy operations. He had been evading agencies for the past few years despite sustained efforts to trace him, officials said. A non-bailable warrant was issued against him by the court. Following his arrest, the accused has been taken into police remand for detailed interrogation regarding the collection of levy money, financial transactions, and properties acquired in his name.