Sleuths of Lokayukta police trapped In-charge Executive Engineer of Water Resources Department, Katni while taking bribe of Rs 20,000 as first instalment of Rs 50,000 from a retired employee for releasing the amount of arrears, on Tuesday. The accused has been identified as V A Siddiqui (49), In-Charge Executive Engineer, Water Resources Department, Katni. Superintendent of Police, Lokayukta Jabalpur, Anjulata Patle informed that under the directions of Yogesh Deshmukh, Director General of Police, Lokayukta and under the guidance of DIG, Manoj Singh, Jabalpur unit of the Lokayukta Police carried out a successful trap operation on Tuesday. The complainant, Kunwar Lal Rajak, a resident of Jarwahi village in Katni district was retired from the post of watchman in 2024.

 

As per a court order issued by the Jabalpur court regarding his service classification for the period 2011 to 2017, he was entitled to receive arrears amounting to approximately Rs 7 to 8 lakh. However, Siddiqui demanded Rs 50,000 from the complainant in exchange for processing and releasing the arrears. After negotiations, the accused agreed to accept Rs 20,000 as the first installment of the bribe. Following the complaint, Lokayukta team laid a trap and caught Siddiqui red-handed while accepting Rs 20,000 inside the drawing room of his official residence. Lokayukta police Jabalpur has registered a case against the accused under Sections 7, 13(1)(B), and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018). The trap team, led by Neetu Tripathi, comprised of Inspector Rekha Prajapati as trap officer, Inspector Brijmohan Singh Narwaria and other members of Lokayukta Jabalpur unit.