The Chhattisgarh State Economic Offence Investigation Anti Corruption Bureau (SEOIACB) has conducted two successful operations, resulting in the arrest of five officials within the state’s education department for accepting bribes. In Mungeli, Ishwar Lal Bharti, a retired employee of Government Secondary School, Jarhagaon, Mungeli, filed a complaint with the ACB in Bilaspur. He alleged that the DDO cum Principal of Government Higher Secondary School, Padampur, Mungeli, Ram Mehar, and clerk Honey Sharma had initially demanded Rs 20,000 to process his GPF pension and gratuity bill.

 

Even after paying this amount, they allegedly demanded an additional Rs 10,000. Bharti, unwilling to pay further, sought SEOIACB’s help to apprehend the accused. Following a verification of complaint, a trap was set for January 10. Ram Mehar and Honey Sharma were caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000. They have been arrested and are being charged under Sections 7 and 12 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. In a separate incident in Surguja, Chamar Sai Paikara, an

 

Assistant Teacher at Government Secondary School, Baghbahar, Jashpur, lodged a complaint with the SEOIACB in Ambikapur. Paikara, previously posted at Government Secondary School, Boda Batauli, alleged that Block Education Officer (BEO) Mithilesh Singh Sengar and Assistant Grade-2 Rajkumar Prasad from the Block Education Officer’s office in Sitapur, Surguja, were demanding a Rs 15,000 bribe to issue his Last Pay Certificate (LPC) and service book, necessary for receiving his salary at his new posting in Baghbahar. Paikara also wished to have the accused caught in the act. On January 10th, a trap was set, and BEO Mithilesh Singh Sengar, Rajkumar Prasad, and their associate, Anurag Barai, an Assistant Teacher at Primary School Dharampur, were apprehended while accepting the Rs 15,000 bribe. They too are facing charges under Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.