A junior engineer of the Irrigation Department was caught red-handed by the vigilance team on Tuesday afternoon while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹2 lakh inside his office premises. The arrest followed a complaint by a contractor who claimed that the engineer had demanded illegal gratification to clear pending payments for a completed construction project.
The accused has been identified as Brajraj Singh, a Junior Engineer posted at the Irrigation Department office in Meerut. During the subsequent search, the vigilance team recovered an additional ₹8 lakh in cash from his car, taking the total seizure to ₹10 lakh, officials said.
According to vigilance officials, the bribe demand was linked to the release of remaining dues for a government construction project executed on the Machhari Minor canal. The work had been completed in December 2025, but a portion of the payment was allegedly withheld.
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The complainant, Dharam Singh, a resident of Ganganagar, operates a construction firm registered under the name DS Contractor. His son, Ankur Singh, manages the firm’s day-to-day operations. The firm had undertaken the canal-related work under the Irrigation Department and was entitled to a total payment of ₹8.03 lakh, officials said.
Of this amount, ₹4.32 lakh had already been released by the department, while ₹3.71 lakh remained pending. It was alleged that Junior Engineer Brajraj Singh demanded ₹3 lakh as commission to clear the remaining payment.
Unable to secure the release of the funds through official channels, Ankur Singh approached the Vigilance Establishment and lodged a formal complaint, detailing the alleged demand for bribe. After verifying the complaint, the vigilance team laid a trap to catch the accused in the act.
As per the plan, Ankur Singh reached the Irrigation Department office around 12 noon on Tuesday with ₹2 lakh, the first instalment of the demanded amount. Officials said that as soon as the cash was handed over, the vigilance team moved in and apprehended Brajraj Singh on the spot.
Following the arrest, a thorough search was conducted. During this operation, the vigilance team recovered ₹7.46 lakh in cash from the accused’s car, parked near the office premises. An additional ₹54,000 was found in the engineer’s pocket. The total cash recovered during the operation amounted to ₹10 lakh, officials confirmed.
Vigilance officers said the source of the additional cash recovered from the car is under investigation. “The recovery of such a large amount raises serious questions. We are verifying whether the money is linked to other similar transactions,” an official involved in the probe said.
A case under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against Junior Engineer Brajraj Singh at the Civil Lines police station. He was taken into custody and further legal proceedings are underway.
Officials said the investigation will also examine whether the accused had made similar demands from other contractors and whether there is a wider pattern of corruption within the department. Documents related to project payments and departmental records are being scrutinised as part of the probe.
The case has once again highlighted concerns over corruption in public works departments, where contractors often allege delays in payments unless illegal commissions are paid. Vigilance officials said such complaints would be acted upon strictly and urged contractors to come forward without fear.
“The vigilance establishment remains committed to taking action against corrupt officials. Timely complaints help us intervene before public money is misused,” an officer said.
The accused is expected to be produced before a court after completion of formalities. Further investigation in the case is ongoing.
About the author – Rehan Khan is a law student and legal journalist with a keen interest in cybercrime, digital fraud, and emerging technology laws. He writes on the intersection of law, cybersecurity, and online safety, focusing on developments that impact individuals and institutions in India.
