VIZIANAGARAM:The Anti-corruption Bureau officials arrested a forest range officer of Salur for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 Thursday. The incident was brought to light after the Forest Range officer of Saluru Range, Vizianagaram, P Yedukondalu sought bribe from a timber trader R Aadivishnu for forwarding his application to issue permission to transport three lorries of teak wood. Another computer operator was also arrested for helping the forest range officer collect the bribe.
Vizianagaram ACB DSP K Lakshmipathi said that timber trader Aadivishnu from Jangareddygudem of West Godavari district wanted to transport teak wood from Saluru to Jangareddygudem. Aadivishnu put up an application for transport clearance which had to be cleared by the Forest Ranger Office. In order to issue permission for the same, the officer demanded a bribe of Rs 15,000. A vexed Aadivishnu approached the ACB officials who, after verifying the facts, laid a trap and caught the officer red-handed while he was taking the bribe from the computer operator NJS Nageswara Rao. The ACB has arrested both P Yedukondalu and NJS Nageswara Rao and produced them before ACB court in Visakhapatnam. Cases have been registered and investigation is on.