In a significant crackdown on corruption, the Lokayukta police on Tuesday caught two government officials red-handed while accepting bribes in separate incidents in Harda and Gwalior districts of Madhya Pradesh.
In the first case, Atmaram Sanwre, the Chief Municipal Officer (CMO) of Khidkiya in Harda district, was arrested for accepting a bribe of ₹5,000. According to DG Lokayukta Yogesh Deeshmukh, the complainant Bhagwandas Sen had applied for house construction permission. However, Sanwre allegedly demanded a bribe to approve the house map and grant the required permissions.
After SP DK Rathore verified the complaint, a trap team led by Inspector GS Marskole was constituted. The team successfully laid the trap at the CMO’s office, where Sanwre was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount.
In a separate incident in Gwalior district, Dilip Nagar, a Revenue Inspector (RI) posted in Ghatigaon, was caught accepting a bribe of ₹30,000. The complainant Praveen Singh had purchased 42 bighas of land and had filed an application for its demarcation with the tehsildar’s office. Despite four official orders from the tehsildar, the RI allegedly delayed the process, demanding a bribe of ₹50,000, later negotiating it down to ₹35,000.
Following a complaint to the Lokayukta police, a trap team led by Inspector Kavindra Singh Chauhan was formed. The RI had already received an advance of ₹5,000. On Tuesday, as soon as the remaining ₹30,000 was handed over at Nagar’s residence, the trap team arrested him on the spot.
Both officials are facing legal proceedings under the Prevention of Corruption Act. These back-to-back actions highlight the Lokayukta’s ongoing efforts to curb corruption and bring transparency in administrative processes.
