Amreli: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has apprehended the Range Forest Officer and a computer operator in Rajula on bribery charges.

The accused Range Forest Officer, Yograjsinh Mulubha Rathod, is stationed in Rajula within Amreli district. Another accused, Vismay Rajyaguru, is a computer operator (employed on a contractual basis) who works with Yograjsinh.

According to the ACB, a complainant in this case had deposited Rs. 5 lakh for an annual contract approved for civil construction work in Rajula by the forest department. After the work was completed, the complainant requested the Range Forest Officer to release the deposit amount. However, the accused officer demanded a bribe to release the funds and also requested a commission on a percentage basis. The officer thus demanded a total of Rs. 10 lakh as a bribe and commission.

The complainant initially paid Rs. 90,000 to the accused officer but was unwilling to pay more. Consequently, he approached the ACB, which arranged a trap and apprehended the officer and his aide, the computer operator, after they accepted bribe money. The trap was set at the Range Forest Office itself in Rajula. DeshGujarat