PAONTA SAHIB — In a swift anti-corruption trap, the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has caught a forest Range Officer red-handed while he was allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹10,000 in Paonta Sahib.
The operation was led by a vigilance team under Inspector Manoj Kumar, following a formal complaint lodged by Ikram, a resident and laborer of village Bagani.
According to the Bureau, the complainant stated that the accused forest officer, identified as Sumant, had threatened his brother-in-law, Zulfan, with the seizure of two tractors over alleged sand transportation from the Yamuna River.
To avoid seizing the vehicles and taking penal action, the Range Officer allegedly demanded an illegal gratification of ₹10,000.
Acting on the grievance, the vigilance squad laid a successful trap, apprehending the accused in the act while he was allegedly pocketing the demanded money.
A formal First Information Report has been registered against the officer under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), at Police Station SV&ACB, Nahan. Authorities confirmed that a detailed investigation is currently underway.
Weighing in on the crackdown, Himachal Pradesh Director General of Police Shri Ashok Tewari, reiterated the department's firm stance against official misconduct.
"The Himachal Pradesh Police and the State Vigilance & Anti-Corruption Bureau are committed to ensuring zero tolerance towards corruption," DGP Tewari said.
"No public servant is above the law, and any individual found demanding or accepting illegal gratification will face strict legal action. We encourage citizens to come forward and report incidents of corruption without fear."
