GUWAHATI: In a shocking incident, an excise department official has been arrested by the police who allegedly took bribery for fixing a meeting with the Assam Chief Minister.
According to reports, the accused, identified as Excise officer Bhupen Hazarika, took a bribe of Rs 5,000 from a woman for arranging a meeting with the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday.
Following the information, Personal Secretary to Minister Bimal Bora registered a case 2860/21 in Dispur Police station.
A case has been registered against the accused under Section 384 in The Indian Penal Code, the police official said.
One of the witnesses stated that "This bribery system is going on for many years. To meet a Minister one has to pay a bribe of Rs 2,000 to 10,000 without it you can't enter."
"These brokers can be seen here and there in the secretariat and near MLA hostel, Dispur." added.
Earlier, sleuths of vigilance and anti-corruption (V&AC) wing of Assam Police caught red-handed Manas Jyoti Das, Superintendent of Excise, Tinsukia, while receiving a bribe of Rs 6,000 from an owner of a retail wine shop in his office chamber located within the premises of the Deputy Commissioner's office Tinsukia on Thursday.
A contractual 4th-grade employee, Arjun Basfar confessed before the sleuths of having acted as a courier at the behest of Das. The duo was whisked away to Guwahati for further interrogation.
According to information, Das, after assuming the charge in February, asked all wine retail shops/bars/bonds in the district to pay Rs 2000/3000/30,000 per month. Few coughed up, the majority, however, had declined. The district administration, though aware, was unable to act in absence of any evidence till one retail wine shop owner of Borguri was asked to pay Rs 6,000 as 'outstanding' for three months. The owner approached the administration and V&AC.
The team, after arriving in Tinsukia on Wednesday, laid the trap. According to plan, the owner handed over the money to Arjun Basfar on Thursday, who in turn delivered the amount to Das in his office chamber when he was caught by the V&AC team. They also seized his laptop and cellphone.
This is the first case in Tinsukia when V&AC acted on an incumbent officer of the district. Meanwhile, it is learned Arjun Basfar, who was taken to Guwahati by the V&AC team, tested COVID positive.
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