Panchayat Samiti Extension Officer caught taking Rs 10,000 bribe in Gondia

An Extension Officer serving at Panchayat Samiti in Maharashtra's Gondia district was caught on Wednesday while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 for preparing a chargesheet against a suspended local official, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said.

The complainant in the case, a Gramsewak, had been placed under suspension some three months back.

He approached the accused, Extension Officer Dyaneshwar Raghunath Lanje (57), for preparing a chargesheet to be sent to the Zilla Parishad through Block Development Officer for their consideration, said the ACB.

Lanje, a Class-III officer, allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 from the Gramsewak to prepare the chargesheet, said the anti-graft agency.

Not willing to shell out the bribe money, the Gramsewak approached the Gondia ACB unit on November 6. After verifying the complaint, ACB sleuths laid a trap and caught the officer while accepting the bribe amount around noon on Wednesday, it said.