The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi government apprehended a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) driver, Niranjan, on Thursday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000. The bribe was reportedly offered by a water tanker owner seeking clearance of his pending dues amounting to Rs 30 lakh from DJB.
The incident unfolded when the water tanker owner approached Delhi ACB, accusing Niranjan of demanding a bribe to facilitate the payment of outstanding rent owed since 2022 for his tankers hired by DJB. This marks the first case filed by Delhi ACB under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
According to Joint Commissioner of Police (ACB) Manoj Meena, the complainant initially approached Junior Engineer Sandeep Shekhar to resolve the issue but was directed to Niranjan instead. Allegedly, Niranjan demanded a 10% commission on the pending amount and managed to clear Rs 14 lakh as a gesture, but insisted on Rs 1.4 lakh for the remainder.
Upon receiving the complaint, a sting operation was swiftly organized. During a pre-arranged meeting, Niranjan was caught red-handed accepting the bribe of Rs 50,000. During interrogation, Niranjan purportedly divulged that Shekhar instructed him to collect the bribe.
An FIR was promptly filed under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the legal protocol for audio and video recording of the trap was followed as per Section 105 of BNSS. The investigation is ongoing to uncover further details in the case.