Jabalpur (MP), Dec 18 (PTI) The Lokayukta police have caught a sub-divisional magistrate’s driver while accepting a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur for settling a matter of paddy storage, an official said on Wednesday.
A farmer, Sangram Singh, who is the complainant in the case, alleged that the woman SDM had demanded Rs 3 lakh bribe through her driver and finalised the deal at Rs 2.5 lakh.
Following the bribery case, Jabalpur Collector Deepak Saxena in an order issued on Tuesday transferred Shahpura SDM Nadeema Shiri. She is attached to the district collector’s office.
In another order, the district administration suspended the SDM’s driver – Sunil Kumar Patel.
People in Khamdehi village here had stored paddy on one-acre of land belonging to farmer Sangram Singh.
A tehsildar took action against this storage, following which the Shahpura’s SDM served a notice to Singh, Lokayukta special police establishment’s Deputy Superintendent of Police Dilip Jharwade told PTI.
Singh claimed the SDM’s driver, Sunil Patel, allegedly demanded Rs 3 lakh to settle the issue, the official said.
Based on Singh’s complaint, a trap was laid and Patel was caught accepting a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh from the farmer on Tuesday evening, Jharwade said.
Around 4,000 sacks of paddy of Basmati variety belonging to five-six farmers were stored on the one acre land, Singh told PTI.
Tehsildar Ravindra Patel took action and seized the produce, terming the storage as illegal, he said.
The case was handed over to SDM Nadeema Shiri, who served a notice and warned of an FIR against Singh, the farmer alleged.
Following the bribery case, Kuldeep Parashar, in-charge deputy collector, has been given additional charge of Shahpura’s SDM, as per officials. PTI ADU GK
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