GUWAHATI:
Hundred rupees may not get you far in today’s world, but for an employee of state health department, it meant arrest on charges of bribery.
Bhupen Borah – an employee of the state health department in Tezpur – was arrested by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), on February 22.
Borah, posted in the office of the joint director of health service, was caught red-handed for accepting a bribe of Rs 100 from Dipen Das, with the bribe money being recovered from the accused’s possession in the presence of independent witnesses.
The VACB has also recovered three cheque books, including cash from his house. A case has been registered against Borah in the Anti-Corruption Bureau police station under section 7 (a) of Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), 1988 (amended in 2018).
Earlier, Borah demanded a bribe from Das in return for the Form-16 certificate. Unwilling to pay the bribe, Das contacted VACB to lodge a complaint. Following this, a trap was laid for Borah and he was arrested, a statement released by the bureau, read.
According to a release, “Bhupen Borah had also demanded bribes from several Grade-III employees of Sonitpur district, under the administrative control of the joint director of health services.”