Official caught taking ₹5,000 bribe in girls’ toilet repair fund case, amount recovered

In a case highlighting alleged corruption in basic school infrastructure, Lokayukta police in Barwani district on Wednesday caught a government official red-handed while accepting a ₹5,000 bribe to facilitate the release of funds meant for repairing a girls’ toilet at a government school.

The accused, identified as Block Resource Coordinator Mahendra Singh Rathore, was apprehended in Rajpur town following a complaint by Jitendra Soni, the in-charge headmaster of a government primary school in Khatri Falia village. Acting on the complaint, officials laid a trap and recovered the full bribe amount of ₹5,000 from the accused at the spot.

According to investigators, the Tribal Welfare Department had sanctioned ₹20,000 for the repair of a toilet for girl students. However, delays in fund disbursement reportedly forced the headmaster to complete the repairs using his personal funds to address the daily difficulties faced by students.

When Soni later sought a completion certificate to claim reimbursement from the government treasury, Rathore, along with District Education Centre sub-engineer Ashwin Dagar, allegedly demanded ₹5,000 as illegal gratification to process the paperwork.

Following the operation, a case has been registered against both officials under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deal with bribery, criminal misconduct, and abuse of official position by public servants.

Police officials stated that while the charges have been formally invoked and the bribe amount recovered, the accused have not yet been arrested. Further investigation is in progress to determine the extent of involvement and procedural lapses in the case.

The incident has raised concerns over delays and alleged corruption in the release of funds for essential school facilities, particularly those affecting the safety and dignity of girl students.