Kota (Rajasthan), Jul 10 (PTI) A village panchayat secretary and a sarpanch were arrested by the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday for allegedly receiving bribe of Rs 10,000 from a contractor in Baran district.

The two accused would be produced before an ACB court in Kota on Saturday, officials said.

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ACB, Baran, Circle Inspector Gyanchand Meena said the village secretary posted in Shahabad gram panchayat of Baran district, identified as Satpal Singh and sarpanch Pankaj Mittal were arrested at the panchayat office after accepting the bribe amount of Rs. 10,000 from contractor Manoj Suman.

The duo had demanded Rs 35,000 from Suman for sanctioning work bills of Rs 1.60 lakh.

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The contractor had carried out renovation work in the gram panchayat office by fixing new water taps, fitting lights, whitewashing and had produced bills of Rs 1.60 lakh for payments, the ACB official further said.

He added that the accused duo demanded 22 per cent commission that came out to Rs 35,000 for sanctioning the bills.

The contractor approached ACB, Baran on Thursday and lodged a complaint against the two officials following which the complainant's veracity was verified that evening, the CI said.

The contractor, showing his inability to pay the full amount, reached the gram panchayat office on Friday morning with Rs 10,000 and the ACB sleuths caught the two officials red-handed after they had accepted the bribe, he further said as the bribe amount was also recovered.

A search operation is underway at respective residences of the two accused, who would be produced before an ACB court in Kota on Saturday, Meena added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)