Block Education Officer held receiving Rs 15,000 bribe in Raipur

A Block Education Officer in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district has been arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 from the Superintendent of a government-run residential school, ACB officials said on Thursday.

The 50-year-old Mohan Lal Joshi, posted in Darbha block, was caught red-handed yesterday accepting the bribe money for issuing monthly scholarship meant for students, an ACB official said.

According to complainant Phuleshwari Podiyami, the Superintendent of Dumarpal Girls' Ashram school, the state government sanctions a sum of Rs 62,250 as a scholarship for her ashram school every month.

The amount is collected through cheques bearing the signatures of BEO and school's Superintendent.

As per the complainant, BEO Joshi had demanded a bribe of Rs 21,000 each month against signatures on scholarship cheques.

Recently the BEO had demanded for a bribe of Rs 15000 for issuing scholarship for the month September, 2014 following which the Superintendent lodged a complaint at the Jagdalpur branch of ACB in this regard, the official said.

After verifying the complaint, a trap was laid and the BEO was arrested from his office.

A case under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against him, the official added.