Ranchi: The Jharkhand Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested a police sub-inspector and a Panchayat secretary in separate trap operations in Koderma and Gumla districts for allegedly taking bribes.
In Koderma district, sub-inspector Pawan Kumar Ram of Chandwara police station was caught red-handed by an ACB team from Hazaribagh while accepting Rs 15,000.
Investigators said the officer had allegedly demanded Rs 1 lakh from a man involved in a case related to illegal liquor, promising to settle the matter in his favour. The complainant reported the demand to Prem Nayak, a leader of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JKLM), who then lodged a formal complaint with the ACB.
After verifying the allegations, the ACB laid a trap. On Thursday, Ram was caught at his official quarters while taking the first instalment of the demanded amount. He was subsequently detained and taken to Hazaribagh for further interrogation.
In another case, the Ranchi unit of the ACB arrested Kiran Kusum Khalkho, Panchayat Secretary of Chatti Serka Panchayat in Vishunpur block of Gumla district, while she was allegedly accepting Rs 8,000 as a bribe.
The complaint was filed by Parameshwar Singh, who alleged that although repair work of a well on his land had already been completed under a Gram Sabha scheme, the secretary was demanding Rs 8,000 to process the pending payment and clear the bill.
Following verification of the complaint, the ACB team set up a trap and apprehended Khalkho while she was receiving the bribe amount.
Officials said cases have been registered against both accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and legal proceedings are underway.
The ACB added that this marks the sixth trap case registered by its Ranchi bureau in 2026 and encouraged the public to report any demands for bribes by government officials.
With inputs from IANS