Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Vigilance Establishment conducted two anti-corruption operations on Monday in Banda and Agra, arresting three people, including two junior engineers, for allegedly accepting bribes totalling Rs 1.10 lakh, officials said.
In Banda, a vigilance team from the Jhansi sector arrested a junior engineer posted at the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board’s regional office while allegedly accepting Rs 1 lakh from the operator of a granite plant. When he sought clarification at the office, he was allegedly directed to the engineer, who demanded Rs 1 lakh to ensure no action was taken against the unit. In Agra, vigilance officials arrested a junior engineer posted with the Shamsabad electricity sub-division and a private tenderer while they were allegedly accepting Rs 10,000 from an applicant seeking a new electricity connection for a newly built house.
Vigilance officials said the complainant received a pollution-related notice on WhatsApp in June and alleged it was issued without a physical inspection. After the complaint was verified, the team laid a trap and caught the engineer red-handed, officials said. A case is being registered at Kotwali Nagar police station. Following verification, a trap team arrested the two while allegedly taking the money.