Allahabad: Health education officer caught accepting bribe, held

ALLAHABAD: A health education officer (HEO) was arrested by the vigilance department in the city for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 35,000 from an applicant who wanted to set up a polyclinic.

SP (vigilance) Shailesh Kumar Yadav told TOI that Pratapgarh resident Raj Kumar Gupta had submitted an application at the office of the chief medical officer (Allahabad) for the registration of a polyclinic.

The CMO had forwarded the application to the health education officer Pankaj Kumar Pandey, a resident of Kushinagar, who currently lives in TB Colony in Teliyarganj. Pandey had to verify the process and complete formalities required for the registration.

When Gupta met Pandey, the latter sought Rs 70,000 from the applicant for complete the formalities.

Three days back, Gupta had submitted a complaint to SP (vigilance) in Allahabad. The SP directed the inspector (vigilance) Mohd Ali to conduct a discreet probe into the allegations and submit a report.

In his report, the inspector claimed that Pandey was infamous among the public for seeking bribes.

On Sunday, an 11-member team of UP vigilance department arrested Pandey while accepting Rs 35,000 bribe from the applicant around 1.20pm. A case was registered against him appropriate sections with Georgetown police.