BRIBE EVEN AFTER THE DIRECTIVE OF THE DM

BRIBE EVEN AFTER THE DIRECTIVE OF THE DM

28-SEP-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BHABHUA---------------------In the Kudra Circle Office of Kaimur district, the Head Clerk accepted a bribe from the aggrieved party regarding a land dispute case, despite explicit instructions from the Kaimur District Magistrate. Only after receiving the payment online were the documents recommending the imposition of Section 144 proceedings handed over to the victim.

According to reports, the land in question—located in Mauja Devradh Kalan (Thana No. 643, Khata No. 06, Khesra No. 1545, Area 2.05 decimals)—is registered in the name of the victim's wife, Neetu Kumari; documents including the mutation rectification letter and land revenue receipts are available. A villager named Surendra Chaudhary has been forcibly occupying the land for three years; when the victim attempted to intervene, Chaudhary had previously filed a case against him under the SC/ST Act. Currently, Chaudhary is constructing a house on the land. The victim has been pleading with the Circle Officer and the local police administration for months to halt this construction, yet local officials have taken no action. Finally, last Friday, the victim appealed to Kaimur District Magistrate Kumar Anurag, who directed the Circle Officer to recommend action under Section 144 to maintain peace on the disputed land. Consequently, the Circle Officer instructed a revenue official to handle the matter. The victim alleges that the revenue official accepted a cash bribe of ₹500 to conduct an inspection and forward the report. Subsequently, when the report reached Head Clerk Badhu Ram, he stated that work is not done without payment and demanded a bribe. When the victim stated that he did not have the money, he was told to arrange it from somewhere; ultimately, the victim had his wife, Neetu Kumari, transfer ₹500 via PhonePe to the Head Clerk's number at approximately 5:23 PM. Following this, at 5:25 PM, the Head Clerk sent the documents recommending '144' to the victim's WhatsApp number.