Guwahati: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Directorate on Tuhurseday apprehended Tajul Islam Siddiqui, the in-charge Executive Engineer of the Mangaldaoi Irrigation Division, while allegedly accepting a bribe. He was caught red-handed inside his office premises while receiving ₹25,000 from a contractor.
According to sources, the contractor, identified as Putul Ali, had approached Siddiqui regarding the release of pending payments related to several old schemes. It is alleged that the engineer had demanded ₹30,000 as a bribe to clear the dues. As per a prior understanding, Ali arrived at the office on the day to pay ₹25,000 as part of the demanded amount.
However, before making the payment, the contractor had already informed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption authorities. Acting on this tip-off, officials laid a trap and caught Siddiqui at the moment he accepted the cash. The arrest took place within the office premises, leaving other staff members shocked, especially as a farewell function for 14 retiring employees of the department had just concluded.
Soon after the transaction, Vigilance officials detained Siddiqui and took him to his chamber for detailed interrogation. The contractor, Putul Ali, was also kept inside the room as part of the investigation. As of the time of filing this report, interrogation was still ongoing late into the evening.
Sources further revealed that the contractor had pending bills from several previous projects under the department. It is also being alleged by some contractors that Putul Ali had earlier cleared bills worth several lakhs through Siddiqui. Due to repeated demands for additional payments despite earlier transactions, Ali reportedly approached the Vigilance wing and cooperated in the trap operation.
Department insiders also indicated that there was a close working relationship between the contractor and the engineer. Officials believe that the ongoing investigation will uncover deeper layers of corruption, potentially exposing a larger network within the department.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Directorate is continuing its probe, and further developments are expected as the investigation progresses.
