1 arrested as MCD corruption racket exposed in Shahdara

New Delhi: The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi Police has unearthed a deeply entrenched corruption network within the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in Shahdara with the arrest of one person linked to a Junior Engineer who was demanding a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a builder.

The sting operation resulted in the arrest of one accomplice connected to a Junior Engineer (JE) in the MCD. Shockingly, the accused JE had already accepted a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a local builder and was exerting pressure for an additional payment of Rs 10,000, officials said on Monday.

Madhur Verma, ACB chief, stated that on Monday, Raj Kumar (name altered), a builder by profession, approached the Anti-Corruption Branch, Delhi, with a disturbing tale of extortion. He reported that a certain Rajesh Meena, a Junior Engineer (JE) in the MCD Shahadra, had visited his construction site accompanied by an intermediary.

Meena allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 15,000 per floor to allow the construction to proceed. As the building had already reached the second floor, a total sum of Rs 30,000 was solicited.

Later, Kumar who opposed this illicit demand, divulged that he had already transferred Rs 20,000 to Meena through his driver, with audio and video recordings as irrefutable evidence. To exacerbate the situation, Meena continued to exert pressure on him to pay the remaining Rs 10,000.

Upon receiving the complaint, Raj Kumar was promptly taken before ACP Jarnail Singh for a thorough examination. Convinced of the legitimacy of the complaint, ACP Jarnail Singh relayed the information to DCP Shweta Singh Chauhan, the head of the Anti-Corruption Branch. Consequently, a highly coordinated raiding team was constituted under ACP Jarnail Singh’s direct oversight, Verma mentioned.

The raiding team, consisting of seasoned officers including Inspector Virender Chaudhary, Inspector Pramod Gupta, SI Manoj, ASI Devender Kumar, HC Krishan Kumar, ASI Pawan, and HC Ajeet, was assembled. Notably, the complainant provided Rs 10,000 for the operation, which was discreetly marked with Phenolphthalein powder.