BHUBANESWAR: An assistant engineer of Irrigation Department, Sudhir Kumar Bag, was arrested by the State Vigilance on charges of taking bribe at Karnajia in Mayurbhanj district on Saturday.
Bag was nabbed by the sleuths while he was accepting an illegal gratification of two lakh rupees from contractor Preetam Kumar Bhol in his office at Ankura in Karanjia.
Sources said Bhol had taken up the work on River Lifting Project at Begunabandha which was originally awarded to Manoranjan Behera, a C-Class contractor. After the bill was passed, Rs 21 lakh was credited to Behera’s account, but Bag demanded a bribe of ` two lakh as commission from sub-contractor Bhol.
Bhol reported the matter to Balasore Vigilance division following which a trap was laid leading to Bag’s arrest on Saturday. Behera has also been framed in the case for forcing Bhol to gratify the Assistant Engineer, Vigilance sources said.
While Bag has been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Behera charged for criminal conspiracy. Both were produced in a court and remanded in judicial custody.