Vigilance officials arrested Assistant Director Lachit Kumar Das during a trap operation after he allegedly demanded Rs 1 lakh for issuing land sale clearance
Guwahati: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (V&AC), Assam on Thursday arrested an Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer after allegedly catching him accepting a bribe linked to a land transaction clearance in Guwahati.
According to officials, Lachit Kumar Das, ACS, serving as Assistant Director at the Directorate of Land Records and Surveys in Rupnagar, was apprehended inside his office chamber during a planned anti-corruption operation.
Investigators said the officer had allegedly demanded Rs 1 lakh from a complainant in exchange for issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) required for land sale permission. Unwilling to pay the amount, the complainant approached the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Directorate and sought legal intervention.
Acting on the complaint, the anti-corruption team laid a trap on May 21. Officials stated that Das was caught “red-handed” while allegedly accepting Rs 45,000 as part of the demanded amount.
The Directorate confirmed that the cash was recovered from his possession and seized in the presence of independent witnesses.
A case has been registered at the Anti-Corruption Branch Police Station under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, amended in 2018.
Officials said the arrest was made after investigators found sufficient evidence during the operation. Further legal proceedings are currently underway.
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