Mathura panchayat secretary held taking ₹1 lakh bribe

Manish Bhandari, secretary of Ading gram panchayat in Goverdhan block, was caught red-handed while accepting ₹1 lakh from contractor Parvez Ahmad during a trap operation on November 6, vigilance officials said.

The Uttar Pradesh Vigilance Establishment’s Agra unit arrested a gram panchayat secretary in Mathura on Friday for allegedly demanding a 30% commission to clear a contractor’s pending dues of ₹30 lakh.

After the allegations were found prima facie true, a trap team arrested Bhandari while he was allegedly accepting the advance. (For representation)

Manish Bhandari, secretary of Ading gram panchayat in Goverdhan block, was caught red-handed while accepting ₹1 lakh from contractor Parvez Ahmad during a trap operation on November 6, vigilance officials said.

According to the complaint, Ahmad had executed civil works worth around ₹2 crore in the village during 2023-25, including construction of roads, drains, interlocking pathways, a park and buildings. Payments of approximately ₹30 lakh remained outstanding.

Bhandari allegedly demanded ₹9 lakh as commission, with ₹1 lakh to be paid in advance and the remaining ₹8 lakh after the dues were cleared.

Ahmad approached the Vigilance Establishment’s Agra unit with a written complaint, following which a confidential inquiry was conducted. After the allegations were found prima facie true, a trap team arrested Bhandari while he was allegedly accepting the advance.

An FIR has been registered against him at the Agra unit police station of the Vigilance Establishment, and further legal proceedings are underway.