An executive engineer at the Tribal Welfare Engineering department was allegedly caught red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 84,000 at her office in Hyderabad on Monday by Telangana’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
According to the ACB release, the official was caught when she demanded and accepted the bribe amount of Rs 84,000 from a complainant for an official favour, ANI reported.
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The officer has been identified as K Jaga Jyothi. A video of Jyothi crying with the seized cash on her table is going viral on social media.
“The right-hand fingers of K Jaga Jyothi, EE tested positive in the phenolphthalein test. The accused officer performed his/her duty improperly and dishonestly to obtain undue advantage,” the release stated.
When phenolphthalein, a chemical compound, breaks down, it turns pink, making it a valuable tool in catching bribe recipients. When someone handles marked bills or documents, traces of the solution stick to their hands, and the pink colour appears upon contact with a mild base.
The bribe amount was also recovered from the possession of the accused official, it said.
The executive engineer was arrested and will be produced before the Principal Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases Court at Hyderabad.
Further investigation is underway.
(With inputs from ANI)