Assam education department official arrested for demanding bribe

Guwahati: An education department official of Assam was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly demanding bribe from a woman for processing her work related to post-transfer.

A complaint was filed at the state's Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption against Lachit Basumatary, the Block Elementary Education Officer of Rani in Kamrup (Rural) district, for demanding a bribe from the complainant’s wife for processing her work pending in the office of the accused, an official said.

The complainant had approached the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption for taking legal action against the officer concerned. A trap was laid by a team from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Assam near the office of the Block Elementary Education Officer, Rani, Kamrup(Rural) on Wednesday.

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Basumatary was caught red-handed in his office chamber along with the bribe which he had received from the complainant. The bribe money was seized from Basumatary's possession in the presence of independent witnesses.

An amount of Rs 1 lakh was also recovered from his vehicle. Basumatary's house is also being searched. A case has been registered against Basumatary in the ACB police station under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) , the official added.