A revenue inspector in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district was arrested while allegedly accepting Rs 4,000 from a resident seeking an Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificate, after a government text message prompted the applicant to contact the state anti-corruption branch.
The arrest took place near Guskara railway station after a five-member investigation team travelled from Kolkata to act on the complaint, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin. The accused official was identified as Alok Dhara, a revenue inspector in the Land and Land Reforms Department at the Aushgram I block office.
The complainant, Guskara resident Mrinmoy Chakraborty, had reportedly applied for an EWS certificate three months earlier. He is preparing for government recruitment examinations and required the certificate to claim a concession on examination fees. According to the report, Dhara allegedly demanded Rs 5,000 for issuing the certificate. After negotiations, the amount was reduced to Rs 4,000, but the applicant continued to receive reminders to pay.
Chakraborty told the newspaper that he had decided to pay because he felt compelled to do so. Before handing over the money, however, he received a state government SMS containing the phone number of the anti-corruption branch. He then contacted the agency and reported the alleged demand.
The investigators prepared a trap after receiving the complaint. The serial numbers of four Rs 1,000 notes withdrawn from a bank were recorded, and the notes were treated with a chemical used in trap operations. According to the report, Dhara asked Chakraborty to meet him near Guskara station after office hours.
Plain-clothes officials allegedly detained the revenue inspector while he was accepting the money. The four notes were recovered from his pocket, and a chemical test reportedly showed a change in the colour of his hands. The report said the anti-corruption SMS had been sent to residents in and around Guskara on the same day.
The case highlights the importance of timely access to certificates issued by local land and revenue offices, particularly for residents who depend on documents such as EWS certificates to access fee concessions and other eligibility-linked benefits. The report does not provide details of the certificate application’s subsequent status or the specific legal sections invoked against the arrested official.
The arrest and alleged recovery remain part of the investigation and do not by themselves establish guilt. Further legal proceedings will determine the charges and evidence in the case.
