Karnal, June 16: In a major crackdown on corruption in Karnal, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested a clerk posted at the Deputy Commissioner (DC) office red-handed while accepting a bribe. The accused is charged with illegally extorting lakhs of rupees under the pretext of processing an arms license. Acting on a complaint, the ACB laid a trap and apprehended him while he was accepting a bribe of ?10,000.
Preliminary ACB investigations revealed that Anil Kumar, a clerk at the DC office, had struck a deal for ?3.5 lakh to facilitate the issuance of an arms license for an individual. The accused had initially demanded ?20,000, claiming it was necessary to obtain a Home Guard certificate as part of the licensing process. He had already collected ?10,000 from the complainant and had summoned him to the office to collect the remaining amount.
The aggrieved individual reported the matter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau. After verifying the complaint, the ACB team devised a plan and set a trap. Special chemical powder was applied to the currency notes intended for the bribe, and their serial numbers were recorded.
As soon as the complainant handed over the ?10,000 and the accused took the money into his hands, the ACB team arrived at the scene and arrested him red-handed. Following the operation, the accused was taken into custody for questioning.
Sultan Singh, the investigating officer in the case, stated that the accused clerk was arrested while accepting a bribe of ?10,000. The investigation also revealed that he had previously collected ?10,000 from the complainant. The accused had demanded ?3.5 lakh in exchange for handling the entire process of obtaining the arms license.
The ACB is now conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. Officials state that they are investigating whether any other individuals are involved in this bribery network. At the same time, they are also looking into how many people the accused has extorted money from in this manner so far.