A routine payment for government work turned into a vigilance operation on Wednesday evening in Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh. The Block Development Officer (BDO) of Kadoura, Pratibha Shalya, was arrested red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹1 lakh from a contractor in exchange for clearing long-pending dues.
The arrest was carried out at the BDO’s official residence, where a vigilance team from Jhansi had been monitoring movements for days.
The Complaint That Triggered the Action
The case began with a complaint by contractor Vivek Siddharth, proprietor of Vivan Construction and Suppliers. His firm had completed interlocking work at a government primary school in Dhamna village, valued at ₹9.86 lakh.
Despite the work being completed, the payment file remained stuck for nearly four months. According to the complaint, when the contractor approached the BDO for clearance, he was asked to pay ₹1 lakh to move the file forward.
Unwilling to comply, the contractor approached the vigilance department around 20 days ago, setting the stage for a planned operation.
How the Vigilance Team Laid the Trap
Based on inputs and surveillance, the vigilance team devised a controlled handover. As per the plan, the contractor signaled the BDO to come to her residence under the pretext of payment-related discussion.
Plainclothes vigilance officers were already stationed nearby. The moment the cash changed hands, the team moved in and caught the BDO with the bribe amount.
Officials said the accused attempted to discard the cash upon realizing she was being trapped, but the entire amount was recovered on the spot.
Dramatic Moments During the Arrest
Sources present at the scene said the BDO resisted when asked to accompany the team and tried to run out of the residence. Two women constables, Kiran Pal and Hemlata, intervened and restrained her before escorting her to a government vehicle.
She was first taken to the local police station for formalities and questioning, after which the vigilance team took her to Lucknow.
