Dehradun: The vigilance department on Wednesday arrested a block education officer (BEO) and a private school operator for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh in Dehradun for clearing reimbursement bills under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, officials said.
Dhanveer Singh Bisht, block education officer (BEO) in Doiwala, and Pushpanjali, owner of Uttaranchal Modern School at Gumaniwala in Rishikesh, were caught red-handed while accepting the bribe from a complainant.
Vigilance officials said the complainant had pending reimbursement claims for students studying at Ganga Valley Junior High School in Rishikesh, and the accused allegedly demanded Rs 1 lakh to process the payment. Bisht is alleged to have routed the bribe through Pushpanjali, owner of a private school in Rishikesh.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018).
The arrest comes months after a similar case in Haridwar, where the vigilance department in December last year arrested BEO Brij Pal Singh Rathore and block resource person Mukesh of Bahadrabad block for allegedly accepting a Rs 20,000 bribe to issue a renewal certificate to a school run by the 40th Battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary.
Vigilance officials said strict action would be taken against corrupt public servants, and urged citizens to report if any officials demand bribes.
