The State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SV&ACB) has arrested two government officials in separate anti-corruption operations in Haryana, catching them allegedly accepting bribes in Rewari and Gurugram as part of its ongoing crackdown on corruption.
In the first case, the bureau’s Jhajjar unit arrested Assistant Consolidation Officer Balwan Singh, posted at the Consolidation Office in Rewari, while he was allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹2 lakh from a complainant.
According to the bureau, the complainant alleged that the official had demanded ₹2.5 lakh for making corrections in the mutation records relating to his ancestral property. After verifying the complaint, the vigilance team laid a trap and apprehended the accused while he was allegedly receiving ₹2 lakh. The entire amount was recovered from the spot, and a case has been registered against him under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Further investigation is underway.
In another operation, the SV&ACB arrested Patwari Rajesh Malhan in Gurugram for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 in connection with a land mutation case. An FIR has been registered against the accused under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 308(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The complainant told the bureau that the Patwari had initially demanded ₹45,000 to process the mutation of land in Sherpur village in favour of his friend’s wife. Following negotiations, the alleged demand was reduced to ₹20,000, out of which ₹5,000 had already been paid. Acting on the complaint, the bureau laid a trap and caught the accused while allegedly accepting the remaining ₹15,000.
SV&ACB Director General A.S. Chawla, IPS, said the bureau remains committed to implementing Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s vision of transparent, accountable and corruption-free governance. He said the bureau is following a zero-tolerance policy against corruption and is taking strict legal action against officials found involved in bribery.
The bureau appealed to the public to report any instance of bribery or corruption involving government officials through its toll-free number 1800-180-2022 or helpline number 1064. It assured citizens that the identity of complainants would be kept confidential and that every complaint would be investigated in a fair and time-bound manner.