Hooghly, 06 October (H.S.): A Sub-Assistant Engineer of the Hooghly Zilla Parishad was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting a ₹20,000 bribe by officials of the West Bengal Police’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on Tuesday.

According to sources, Polba-based contractor Muktaram Ghosh was reportedly due around ₹2.06 lakh for work carried out for the Hooghly Zilla Parishad. The engineer allegedly demanded a bribe in exchange for processing the pending payment.

The contractor subsequently approached the ACB and lodged a complaint. Following the ACB’s instructions, the currency notes intended for the alleged bribe were treated with a special chemical before the contractor went to hand over the money.

As soon as the engineer allegedly accepted the ₹20,000, ACB officials entered the room and caught him red-handed. Officials reportedly conducted a chemical test, during which the engineer’s hands turned purple after being washed with water.

Chinsurah Police Station IC Uttam Sharma, along with other police officials, also reached the spot. The ACB has launched an investigation into the alleged bribery case.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey