A revenue official has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Delhi Government for allegedly demanding and receiving a bribe from a businessman to allow him to construct his house at Badarpur in South Delhi.
Arun Rai, who is engaged in the business of providing security guards, lodged a complaint with the ACB alleging that Dinesh Gaud, a revenue official posted at the Kalkaji office, had demanded Rs.25,000 to allow the construction.
“When I started the work, I was told that it could not be done without the consent of the revenue official. Then I met him and told him that the others were also constructing their house in the area. At this, the official said that my house could also be built through the same way and demanded Rs.25,000,” alleged Mr. Rai, adding that the amount was scaled down to Rs.15,000 through negotiations.
When Mr. Rai’s well-wishers told him that the revenue official allegedly did not carry at all the construction even after taking the money, he decided to carry out a “sting operation” to prove that he had given money to the official.
“However, while paying Rs.5,000, I could not record the conversations properly. The next time I succeeded and the recording showed the official taking Rs.5,000 and also demanding the last part of the total amount,” he said.
Dinesh Gaud allegedly started evading Mr. Rai, following which the complainant submitted a compact disc containing the recordings to his superior. “But no strict action was taken against him. I then lodged a complaint the ACB, which got the compact disc verified and then registered a case. Subsequently the official was arrested on Thursday,” said Mr. Rai.
