Bribery arrests in Prayagraj division jump to 29 this year

“People have begun to raise their voice when government employees demand money for legitimate work,” a vigilance department official said. “Complaints are reaching our teams more frequently, enabling us to take swift action.”

Arrests of government employees caught taking bribes have jumped sharply in Prayagraj division, climbing from 11 in 2023 and 24 in 2024 to 29 this year, according to data from the vigilance and anti-corruption organisation, Uttar Pradesh Police.

Representational image (Sourced)

Officials say the increase reflects growing public awareness rather than just rising corruption.

Across Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur and Kaushambi districts, 29 officials and employees were allegedly caught red-handed accepting bribes in the past 12 months.

“People have begun to raise their voice when government employees demand money for legitimate work,” a vigilance department official said. “Complaints are reaching our teams more frequently, enabling us to take swift action.”

On December 9, an anti-corruption team arrested a junior assistant at the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) office while allegedly accepting ₹8,000. The arrest triggered chaos as several PDA employees allegedly attacked the vigilance team in an attempt to free the accused.

Civil Lines police have registered a case against 40 to 50 personnel based on a complaint by the anti-corruption team and are working to identify the attackers.

This year, the anti-corruption team arrested 14 employees across the division, while the vigilance department arrested 15. In 2024, there were 24 arrests, 13 by anti-corruption and 11 by vigilance. The 2023 figure stood at 11, with anti-corruption nabbing seven officials and vigilance four.