The CBI’s anti-corruption team in Lucknow arrested a branch manager of Bank of Baroda and a bank friend for accepting a bribe of five thousand rupees. Ravi Kumar, the branch manager of the Dariyamau branch, and Rajendra Kumar, the bank friend, were demanding a bribe from a BJP leader for providing a loan to the dairy industry. Dharmendra Kumar Paswan, a resident of Pauli in Khakheru police station area, is a sector coordinator for the BJP.
Dharmendra, along with his brother Mukesh, applied for a loan of one and a half lakh rupees each to buy buffaloes at the Dariyamau branch of Bank of Baroda on September 3. Dharmendra reported that even after the loan was approved, bank manager Ravi Kumar was not transferring the money into their accounts. It is alleged that four days prior, the manager demanded a bribe of five thousand rupees. Dharmendra then informed the CBI through their helpline in Lucknow. The anti-corruption team arrived on Wednesday afternoon and set a trap to catch the bank manager red-handed. They instructed Dharmendra to bring the five thousand rupees.
When Dharmendra attempted to give the money to the manager inside the bank premises, the manager asked him to hand the money to Rajendra, the bank friend, who was outside. Dharmendra then went outside and handed the five thousand rupees to Rajendra. As Rajendra entered the manager’s cabin, the anti-corruption team, which had arrived from behind, caught him. During the team’s interrogation, Rajendra admitted to taking the money at the manager’s request. Subsequently, both the manager and the bank friend were taken away by the team for accepting bribes. Inspector Ankur Tripathi, in charge of the anti-corruption team, stated that a case has been registered against the manager and the bank friend under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The accused have been presented in court and sent to jail.
