Bihar: Sitamarhi civil surgeon held for accepting Rs 50,000 bribe

PATNA: The vigilance investigation bureau (VIB) on Saturday arrested Sitamarhi civil surgeon Dr Ravindra Kumar for allegedly taking Rs50,000 as a bribe from a contractual data entry operator for his transfer back to earlier place of working.
Vigilance sources said the surgeon had called Keshav Kumar to his official residence at Officers Colony near Dumra Chowk in Sitamarhi with the bribe money.Sources said additional Rs27,700 was also seized during the raid on his residence. Keshav wanted his transfer cancelled by the civil surgeon.
“Keshav had lodged a complaint with the bureau on November 1. An internal inquiry was conducted following which Keshav’s complaint was found to be true on November 5. Finally, a trap team was formed to nab the civil surgeon,” the bureau’s DSP, Sarvesh Kumar Singh, told TOI.
“Dr Ravindra (65) is a native of Sheikhpura district. The present age of superannuation of government doctors in Bihar is 67 years. He was receiving around Rs2 lakh as monthly salary,” sources said.
The surgeon explained to the officials that the additional money recovered was part of his salary and nothing unusual to keep such amount with himself, Singh saidquoting the civil surgeon.
Singh said Keshav had been posted at Runnisaidpur primary health centre (PHC) for the last seven years. He was transferred to Bairgania PHC on October 19 this year. “Keshav wanted to remain posted at Runnisaidpur as he belongs to a neighbouring village,” Singh said.
“The bureau came to know that two more data entry operators were also transferred on the civil surgeon’s order recently. But after sometimes, they were reverted to their older workplace,” he said.
The DSP said the civil surgeon ordered Keshav’s posting at Runnisaidpur soon after accepting the bribe on Saturday after which the bureau team raided his residence.