Forest Department Clerk Nabbed in Bribery Scandal

A senior clerk from the forest department in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended red-handed on Friday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 linked to the approval of a petrol pump file. Officials from the Anti-Corruption Squad in Agra made the arrest.

The accused will face the anti-corruption court in Meerut, following a case filed at Jamuna Paar police station. Indian Oil Corporation had sanctioned an application in 2022 by Rajan Singh to establish a petrol pump, but procedural hurdles surfaced due to the lack of a no-objection certificate from the forest department.

Investigations revealed that department's senior clerk, Kishore Chaturvedi, was withholding the file unless a Rs 2 lakh bribe was paid. After agreeing to an installment payment, Rajan Singh's brother-in-law lodged a complaint leading to Chaturvedi's arrest. The incident adds another high-profile case to the Prevention of Corruption Act charges roster.

(With inputs from agencies.)