Haryana ACB Arrests Education Department SDO and JE in Sonipat Over Rs 2.93 Lakh Bribe Trap
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In a swift and decisive anti-corruption operation, the Haryana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) apprehended two senior officials of the state Education Department while accepting a substantial bribe of Rs 2.93 lakh in Sonipat. The arrested officials, identified as Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Vishnu Dutt and Junior Engineer (JE) Ashish, were caught red-handed during a meticulously planned sting operation. The duo had allegedly withheld clearance and demanded the illicit sum as an illegal commission from a government contractor who had successfully completed civil construction work on a government school's boundary wall, triggering an immediate criminal complaint and subsequent vigilance raid.
Highway Rendezvous Foiled: How the ACB Trapped the Officials on NH-334A
The trap was set in motion after the aggrieved contractor formally approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau, providing documented details of relentless bribe demands and percentage kickbacks sought by the engineering duo to process his pending construction bills. Acting upon the verified complaint, the ACB constituted a specialized raiding party led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rahul Dev to apprehend the corrupt personnel. The suspect officials instructed the contractor to bring the extortion cash to a secluded rendezvous point along National Highway 334A (NH-334A) near Fatehpur village in Sonipat district. Unbeknownst to the officials, undercover ACB surveillance operatives had already cordoned off the highway perimeter, swooping in and seizing the marked currency the instant the illicit cash transaction took place.
Custodial Interrogation Underway: Case Files and Corrupt Dealings Under Deep Scrutiny
Following their on-the-spot arrest, both Vishnu Dutt and Ashish were taken into formal custody, while the tainted currency notes totaling Rs 2.93 lakh were recovered and sealed as primary material evidence under forensic chain-of-custody protocols. ACB sleuths also confiscated departmental clearance dockets, project measurement registers, and relevant administrative paperwork connected to the school boundary wall project from the scene. The investigative team has initiated custodial interrogation to determine whether the SDO and JE were running a broader kickback syndicate targeting other educational infrastructure contractors across Sonipat district, with formal charges being filed under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
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