Sleuths of Special Establishment Lokayukta Jabalpur trapped a reader posted in the Additional Collector’s office in Seoni district red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 for influencing the outcome of an appeal related to a land dispute, on Tuesday. The accused has been identified as Madhav Prasad Tiwari (60), Assistant Grade-III and Reader in the office of the Additional Collector, Lakhnadon, Seoni district. Superintendent of Police Lokayukta Jabalpur, Anjulata Patle informed that the action was carried out under the directions of DGP (Lokayukta) Yogesh Deshmukh and under the guidance of DIG, Manoj Singh. SP, Patle added that the complainant, Santosh Singh Sisodia, a resident of Gangadana village in Chapara tehsil of Seoni district, lodged a complaint that several jamun and other trees standing on his ancestral land had been cut by unknown persons.

 

While he had informed the local police, the opposing party filed a complaint before the SDM office in Lakhnadon, where an order was passed against him. Sisodia subsequently filed an appeal before the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) office. During the proceedings, Reader Madhav Prasad Tiwari demanded Rs 30,000 to secure a favourable decision in the case. After negotiations, he agreed to accept Rs 20,000. Acting on the complaint, Jabalpur Lokayukta team laid a trap and caught Tiwari red-handed while accepting the bribe amount of Rs 20,000 at the porch of the Consumer Forum building housing the Additional Collector's office in Seoni. A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 7, 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018 and further investigation is underway. The trap operation was conducted by a team led by TLO Inspector Uma Kushwah, along with Inspector Brijmohan Singh Narwaria and other members of Jabalpur Lokayukta unit.