Assam: Government employee arrested for accepting bribe in Sonitpur

In a major development, officials from the Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption cell apprehended a government employee identified as Bobby Khan Saikia for allegedly accepting a bribe. The accused, who worked as a copyist at the Deputy Commissioner's office in Sonitpur's Tezpur, was caught red-handed while accepting money in exchange for issuing certified copies of land documents.

The arrest came after a complaint was filed with the Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption, Assam, alleging that Bobby Khan Saikia had demanded a bribe of Rs. 1,000 from the complainant in order to provide certified copies of land documents. The complainant, unwilling to succumb to corruption, sought legal action against the public servant.

Acting swiftly, a team from the Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption laid a trap on May 16 at the Deputy Commissioner's office in Sonitpur. Bobby Khan Saikia was apprehended at 2:30 PM, moments after accepting the bribe money from the complainant. The tainted money was seized, and the accused was taken into custody with sufficient evidence against her.

A case has been registered at the ACB Police Station under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) against Bobby Khan Saikia. Legal proceedings are currently underway to ensure appropriate action is taken.

In a separate incident on May 10, Mridul Duari, an Assistant Engineer from the Irrigation division in Baksa district, was also arrested on charges of bribery. The accused, working at the Office of the Executive Engineer, Suklai Serfang Goreswar Division (Irrigation), had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs. 30,000 from a complainant in exchange for issuing a work order. After negotiations, the bribe amount was reduced to Rs. 25,000. The complainant approached the vigilance cell, seeking necessary legal action against the accused.