Varanasi: The Anti-Corruption Team of the Varanasi division arrested a lekhpal’s private assistant red-handed while allegedly accepting Rs1 lakh bribe on Tuesday afternoon in connection with a land mutation case.The accused, Ashok Kumar, a resident of DLW Road in Shivdaspur under Manduadih police limits, was arrested around near the UP College gate. The lekhpal allegedly involved in the case, Kundan Singh, is absconding, and police are conducting raids to arrest him.The action followed a written complaint by Kamal Kant Vikram, a resident of Jaipar under Shivpur police station. According to the complaint, his father Omprakash Singh had applied for mutation following the sale of ancestral land.It was alleged that Kundan Singh, the lekhpal concerned, demanded ₹1 lakh for completing the mutation process. After a phone conversation with the complainant on Tuesday, Kundan allegedly sent his private assistant Ashok to collect the money.Ashok called the complainant near the UP College gate and allegedly accepted the bribe. The Anti-Corruption Team, which had laid a trap, arrested him on the spot and recovered the entire amount.During questioning, Ashok allegedly told the team that he had gone to collect the money on the lekhpal’s instructions. Police also seized his mobile phone, which allegedly contains audio recordings of conversations between him and Kundan Singh regarding the alleged bribe transaction.Anti-Corruption Team incharge Neeraj Singh said Kundan Singh, who is posted in the Seergovardhanpur area under Sadar tehsil, is currently absconding. Raids are being conducted at Sadar tehsil and other possible locations to arrest him.Legal action is being taken against both accused at Cantt police station.
