Power official caught taking bribe in UP’s Meerut

The power official was accepting ₹2 lakh as bribe from the contractor of a company involved in the construction of rapid rail project between Meerut and Delhi

A team of vigilance officials from Meerut arrested superintending engineer of Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (PVVNL) red handed while he was allegedly accepting ₹2 lakh as bribe from the contractor of a Chandigarh-based company involved in the construction of rapid rail project between Meerut and Delhi. He was then taken to Civil Lines police station for further interrogation.

The power official was accepting ₹2 lakh as bribe from the contractor of a company involved in the construction of rapid rail project between Meerut and Delhi (For Representation)

Confirming it, Arvind Mallappa Bangari, managing director (MD), PVVNL, said over the phone, “I am on a visit to Amroha and came to know about the incident through WhatsApp. I have directed to suspend the errant official Devendra Pachauria and a departmental enquiry would also be initiated against him.”

Asserting that he had directed for zero tolerance against corruption in the department, the PVVNL MD said a separate vigilance enquiry would also be conducted against Pachauria.

A team of vigilance laid a trap against PVVNL official on the complaint of the contractor when the latter approached it alleging that superintending engineer Devendra Pachauria was demanding ₹2 lakh for shifting of some electricity lines.

The team powdered the currency and gave it to the contractor who met Pachauria in his office and gave the money. While the official was taking the bribe, the vigilance team entered the office and caught him red handed.