Ranchi, July 10: The Jharkhand Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested a revenue employee and an alleged middleman for demanding a bribe of ₹4.5 lakh in connection with the mutation of agricultural land in Ranchi district.
The agency has also questioned the Budmu Circle Officer (CO) as part of its ongoing investigation.The accused have been identified as Rajesh Kumar Ravi, a revenue employee, and Gautam Kumar, an alleged broker.
They were arrested after the ACB conducted a trap operation following a complaint from a landowner.According to the complaint, the case relates to the mutation of 3.20 acres of land in Sadam Mauza under the Budmu Circle.
The complainant alleged that he had purchased one acre of land in his wife’s name and 1.10 acres each in the names of his two sisters-in-law.
When he applied for the mutation of the land, the accused allegedly demanded ₹4.5 lakh to process the application.
The complainant also claimed that the broker had already collected ₹90,000 from him but continued to demand additional money.
Acting on the complaint, the ACB registered a case and organized a trap operation.
During the operation, ACB officials allegedly caught Rajesh Kumar Ravi and Gautam Kumar while accepting ₹10,000 as part of the bribe at the revenue employee’s residence in Ranchi.
Both were taken into custody.Following the arrests, the ACB detained Budmu Circle Officer Sachchidanand Sinha for questioning.
He was taken to the ACB headquarters, where officials interrogated him until late Thursday night.
Investigators are now examining whether the Circle Officer had any direct involvement in the alleged bribery or whether his name was used by the accused without his knowledge to demand money from the complainant.
The ACB said the investigation is continuing, and further legal action will be taken based on the findings. No official statement has yet been issued regarding the Circle Officer’s role in the case.
