Three Lucknow Development Authority officials arrested for ₹7.50 lakh bribe

Three officials of the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), including a junior engineer (JE), have been arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹7.50 lakh. The Uttar Pradesh Vigilance team caught them red-handed at the LDA office in Gomti Nagar on Saturday. The arrests followed a complaint lodged by a local resident, who claimed the officials had demanded money to resolve a construction-related issue.

The accused include JE Dinesh Kumar Verma, supervisor Chandra Prakash, and a middleman named Shravan Kumar. According to the complainant, Verma and Prakash visited his under-construction house and threatened to halt the work, citing a complaint against the project on the IGRS portal. They demanded ₹15 lakh to "settle" the matter, but after negotiations, the bribe amount was reduced to ₹7.50 lakh.

The complainant approached the Superintendent of Police, Vigilance, in the Lucknow sector and provided evidence, including phone call recordings, to back his allegations. Acting on the complaint, the vigilance team devised a plan to catch the accused. The complainant was asked to meet the officials with the agreed amount at the LDA office. As soon as the money exchanged hands, the vigilance team swooped in and arrested the trio on the spot. The entire bribe amount was recovered during the operation.

The vigilance department is now interrogating the accused to uncover further details about the case and any possible links to other corrupt practices. This incident has raised questions about corruption within the LDA and the misuse of official positions to extort money from citizens. Authorities have assured strict action against those involved and reiterated their commitment to curbing corruption in government offices.

This high-profile arrest highlights the growing vigilance against bribery and corruption in public offices, sending a strong message to officials across the state.