Corruption Crackdown: Top Officials Face Bribery Arrests in Uttarakhand

Amid a robust anti-corruption drive in Uttarakhand, vigilance authorities apprehended several officials, including a police sub-inspector and a record keeper, on bribery charges. More than 150 individuals have faced legal consequences in the past three years, highlighting the state government's commitment to eradicating corruption.

The anti-corruption campaign in Uttarakhand is gaining momentum as the Vigilance Establishment has taken decisive action against corrupt officials. On Wednesday, Sub-Inspector Devesh Khugshal, in charge of the ISBT police outpost, was arrested for accepting a bribe of Rs one lakh, following a sting operation conducted by vigilance officials.

This incident followed a complaint that Khugshal had demanded Rs 5 lakh during a land dispute investigation, threatening Gangsters Act charges for non-compliance. Post-arrest, the Senior Superintendent of Police in Dehradun, Ajay Singh Bisht, swiftly suspended Khugshal. A separate arrest was made in the Dhanolti tehsil of Tehri district, where Virendra Singh Kaintura, a record keeper, was caught accepting a Rs 15,000 bribe.

Additionally, the state government suspended Superintending Engineer of the Irrigation Department, R K Tiwari, after the Central Bureau of Investigation's findings on corruption related to Haridwar's Pantdweep parking lot auction. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami emphasized his administration's zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, aiming to root it out entirely for public justice.

(With inputs from agencies.)