(IN): Sikkim Forest official arrested for accepting bribe

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http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=jan2309/ne7

*Sikkim Forest official arrested for accepting bribe

*CORRESPONDENT

GANGTOK, Jan 22 – A senior official of the Sikkim Forest department was

caught red-handed yesterday by State Vigilance department accepting bribe

from a Forest Guard candidate.

 

Sources informed that the Vigilance Police has arrested the official, BP

Gautum, joint secretary (administration) of the State Forest department and

registered a case under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act,

1988.

 

This is the first time in the history of Sikkim that an official of the rank

of joint secretary has been arrested on such charges while still in active

duty.

 

Gautam is accused of demanding a bribe over Rs 50,000 from the candidate who

had appeared for the Forest Guard post. The candidate who hails from Soreng,

West Sikkim had completed all the physical, written and interview process

for the post.

 

It may be added here that around 120 posts of Forest Guard had been opened

in the department and consequently hundreds of candidates had appeared for

the vacant posts.

 

After the final interviews were completed, Gautam, who is a member in the

selection committee, is accused of contacting the candidate and demanding

over Rs 50,000 if she wanted the job.

 

Sources informed that the official telephoned the candidate over phone on

January 14 where he made his demands clear while not disclosing his name or

rank. It is also alleged that the official had told the candidate that other

candidates are ready with more than Rs 3 lakh for the post.

 

The candidate is learnt to have pleaded with the official that she could not

arrange such a huge sum of amount as she hailed from a poor family. Later,

she inquired and found from telephone records that it was Gautam who had

contacted her. It is also claimed by the candidate that she had met the

official who in turn told her directly that without the money as demanded,

she will not be considered for the post.

 

Then, the candidate consulted with her brother who is studying law and

finally decided to file a complaint with the State Vigilance Police

department yesterday who registered a case under section 7 of Prevention of

Corruption Act 1988.

 

After receiving the complaint, the Vigilance Police then prepared a trap.

First, the candidate was asked to contact the accused joint secretary for an

appointment and their conversation was recorded. Then the candidate was sent

with Rs 50,000 at his Lower Sichey residence yesterday evening along with

one witness.

 

The moment, cash stuffed inside an envelope was handed over to the joint

secretary, a team of State Police Vigilance led by Senior SP DB Giri in

plainclothes caught him literally 'red handed' with the notes that had been

treated with a powder.

 

A search in the home of the accused led to the recovery of incriminating

documents and his office at Forest Secretariat at Deorali was searched

today.

 

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