Satna Municipal Commissioner arrested by Lokayukta police for taking bribe of Rs 50 lakh
Satna: Lokayukta cops caught Satna Municipal Commissioner red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 50 lakh from a doctor. The accused has been arrested and is in police remand.
Incidentally, three days before the official was arrested, Satna on June 23 was included in the 30 cities announced by Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu for inclusion in the Smart City Mission, taking the total count of prospective Smart Cities to 90.
According to media reports, a notice for payment of penalty by the Satna Municipal Commission was pending against a local doctor, Raj Kumar Agrawal, who runs a clinic in the city, for violation of building laws. However, soon after his posting as Satna Municipal Commissioner, Surendra Kathuria allegedly started pestering the doctor and threatened to remove the encroachment.
Kathuria not only stopped the construction work at the clinic but also got the drain choked, said the reports. “When the doctor went to meet the municipal commissioner, the latter allegedly demanded Rs 50 lakh as bribe to overlook the violations. As the bribe amount was too huge, Agrawal video recorded the conversation in which Kathuria demanded bribe from him,” added the reports.
The doctor then approached Lokayukta police in Bhopal and lodged a complaint against the officials. On receiving the documents, the headquarters forwarded the complaint to Rewa Lokayukta SP, Sanjeev Sinha.
On being asked by Sinha, Agrawal held negotiations with the municipal commissioner one more time. “The Rewa Lokayukta recorded the conversation and registered a case against Kathuria. As per the conversation, in order to have Kathuria trapped by the Lokayukta Police, the doctor agreed to pay the bribe amount of Rs 50, but in instalments,” said the reports.
Kathuria agreed to receive Rs 12 lakh and Rs 10 lakh jewellery in first instalment from the doctor. Elaborate arrangements were made to get Kathuria trapped.
The complainant arranged Rs 12 lakh by borrowing from different sources. He got the silver ornaments gold-plated to appear as if they were worth Rs 10 lakh.
Meanwhile, on June 23, the municipal commissioner reached national capital to attend the programme in which Satna was declared as a Smart City by Venkaiah Naidu. Soon after returning to Satna the next day, he demanded the bribe amount from Agrawal who agreed to pay it the next day.
On June 26, Rewa Lokayukta SP Sanjeev Sinha made foolproof arrangements to trap the doctor. He sent a 20-member team headed by a DSP. The team laid siege on Kathuria’s house as Agrawal went to pay the bribe amount. They caught Kathuria red handed and arrested him.
The arrested accused was produced in court and remanded to three days’ police custody.
“On conducting searches in the municipal commissioner’s residence, we recovered Rs 15 lakh cash and other valuables worth Rs 35 lakh. We will open his lockers and check his bank accounts shortly. We have registered a disproportionate assets case against the municipal commissioner,” Sinha told media persons.
