ACB trap: Sirohi DSO arrested for taking Rs 40,000 bribe

Jaipur: Rajasthan anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested Mohanlal Dev – currently posted District Supply Officer (DSO) in Sirohi district after he was allegedly caught taking a bribe of Rs 40,000. Mohanlal was demanding Rs 4 lakh as bribe from the shopkeepers of nearly 400 fair price shops. He was threatening to suspend their license if the bribe was not paid to him, ACB officials said. He was caught taking bribe from the president of the local rashan shopkeepers association. This was the first instalment of the bribe, the officials said.

According to DG ACB Alok Tripathi, there are 400 fair price shops in five tehsils of Sirohi district. DSO Mohanlal was demanding a bribe of Rs 1,000 from each shop. He issued the threat that the license of the shopkeepers who didn’t pay the bribe would be suspended.

Mukesh Kumar Agarwal who is the representative of the shopkeepers association approached the ACB and registered a complaint against Mohanlal.

“We verified the complaint. DSO Mohanlal demanded Rs 1,000 for each shop at the time of the complaint’s verification. When the complaint was found genuine, a trap was laid. Mohanlal was arrested taking Rs 40,000 – the first instalment of the total bribe amount,” said the officer.

The officer added that Mohanlal was arrested and booked under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Further investigation is going on.