Engineer caught taking Rs 50,000 cash, Rs 11.5 lakh cheque as bribe in Indore

The Lokayukta police caught an executive engineer of the National Health Mission while he was allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 50,000 in cash and a cheque of Rs 11.50 lakh from a contractor here in Madhya Pradesh, an official said.

Following a complaint by the contractor, the accused, Rakesh Kumar Singhal (55), was caught red-handed on Monday while taking the money at Palika Plaza in Indore, the Lokayukta police's deputy superintendent Praveen Singh Baghel said.

Singhal allegedly took Rs 50,000 in cash and also a cheque of Rs 11.50 lakh (issued by the contractor for himself) as a guarantee that he will return it to the contractor when he pays him the equivalent amount in cash, the official said.

The contractor has conducted the boring work for setting up tubewells in Indore and Ujjain divisions worth Rs 1.74 crore, but he was paid only Rs 1.05 crore for it, Baghel said. Singhal had allegedly demanded Rs 17 lakh as commission from the contractor in lieu of the above payment and had already taken Rs five lakh from him as the initial amount, the official said.

After the accused was caught on Monday, a case was registered against him under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, he said.

The accused was not yet arrested, but made to sign a bond to ensure that he will appear before the Lokayukta police whenever called in connection with the bribery case, the official said.

A probe was also being conducted into the NHM official's movable and immovable properties on the suspicion of having amassed assets through unfair means.

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