Uttar Pradesh Vigilance Establishment arrested Kushinagar Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) Dr Shanti Prakash Dwivedi while accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a farmer in exchange for facilitating the release of government assistance under a state-sponsored livestock development scheme.
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Vigilance Establishment has arrested Kushinagar chief veterinary officer Dr Shanti Prakash Dwivedi for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a farmer to facilitate release of govt assistance under a state livestock development scheme, officials said.
The officer initially demanded Rs 50,000 from Gupta in return for ensuring that the financial assistance was sanctioned and released, according to Vigilance Establishment. The team laid a trap, and on Oct 31, when Gupta allegedly handed over the Rs 30,000 to Dwivedi, vigilance personnel intervened and arrested him on the spot as part of the anti-corruption operation.
The complainant told vigilance officials that he repeatedly requested a reduction, after which Dwivedi allegedly agreed to accept Rs 30,000 as the “minimum” amount. Vigilance officials said a preliminary verification was conducted and the allegations were found substantiated, following which a trap team from the Gorakhpur sector was formed. Officials said a case has been registered against Dwivedi under relevant legal provisions and further proceedings are underway.
Unwilling to pay, Gupta submitted a written complaint to the superintendent of police of Vigilance Establishment’s Gorakhpur unit, seeking action. Dwivedi is a native of Basti district.