Patwari and operator of SDM office arrested while taking bribe of Rs 1.80 lakh
Janjgir. In a major operation at the Champa SDM office in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir district, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Economic Offences Investigation Bureau (EOW) arrested an Amin Patwari and a computer operator red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹1.8 lakh (approximately $1.8 million). The accused were demanding this bribe from a farmer in the name of “helping” with compensation for acquired land. According to reports, Budhram Dhiwar, a farmer from Raipura village in Sakti district, filed a complaint with the Bilaspur ACB unit on October 16th. He stated that land in his and his sister’s names in Kosmanda village, Janjgir district, had been acquired for the construction of a national highway. In August 2025, the land acquisition officer from the Champa SDM office deposited a total compensation payment of ₹35,64,099 into their joint bank account.
The farmer reported that after the payment, Amin Patwari Bihari Singh and operator Rajkumar Dewangan, posted in the land acquisition branch of the Champa SDM office, approached him. They said he would have to pay ₹180,000 in exchange for assistance in withdrawing the compensation amount from his account. When the farmer refused to pay the bribe, the two pressured him. Subsequently, the farmer filed a complaint of corruption with the ACB office in Bilaspur. After verifying the complaint, the ACB team planned a trap. On Wednesday, as planned, the complainant, Budhram Dhiwar, was sent to the accused Patwari and operator with the bribe amount of ₹180,000. As soon as the two men took the money, Bilaspur ACB DSP Ajitesh Singh and his team, who were already waiting in ambush, caught them red-handed. The team recovered the entire bribe amount, which had been previously treated with chemicals, from the scene.
During the investigation, the color of the notes was also found on the accused’s hands, confirming the bribery. This sudden action created panic in the Champa SDM office. Several employees tried to flee, but the team immediately surrounded the entire premises. Following the arrests, the ACB team also examined documents in the office to determine how long the accused had been engaging in such corruption. A case has been registered against both accused under sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Ajitesh Singh, DSP of the Bilaspur ACB unit, stated that the accused will soon be produced in court, and further investigations will determine which other employees are involved in this bribery. He added that this is the 36th successful trap operation by the Bilaspur ACB in the last one and a half years, demonstrating the success of the ongoing campaign against corruption. This ACB action has created a stir in government offices in Janjgir and Champa. Locals hailed the action, saying it was a relief for farmers who had to face officials demanding bribes for their own compensation.
