Forest range officer, junior assistant caught taking ₹15,000 bribe

Two officials arrested in Adilabad for accepting a ₹15,000 bribe to expedite a pending payment related to government works.

Two government officials, including a forest range officer, were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Adilabad district for accepting a bribe of ₹15,000 to clear a pending payment on Thursday.

The accused were identified as T. Pranay, Forest Range Officer of Boath range, and S. Parshuram, junior assistant, who acted as an intermediary in the transaction. The ACB Adilabad unit trapped them at the forest range office when the bribe amount was accepted from a complainant in return for facilitating clearance of a pending cheque of ₹5.09 lakh related to water supply works under the Haritha Haram project implemented through the MGNREGS scheme.

Officials said the tainted amount was recovered from the possession of the junior assistant at the instance of the Forest Range Officer.

The accused were taken into custody and produced before the special court for SPE and ACB cases in Karimnagar. Further investigation is underway, while the identity of the complainant has been withheld for security reasons.

The ACB has urged the public to report instances of bribery through its toll-free helpline 1064, assuring confidentiality to complainants.