Patna, April 16 : An Assistant Engineer in Bihar's Purnea district has been arrested while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000, officials said on Thursday.

The accused, Bhushan Prasad, posted with the Bihar Education Project, was caught red-handed by the Vigilance team. The arrest followed a complaint filed by Nandan Kumar Jha, a resident of Hemnagar village under Sarsi police station limits in Purnea.

According to the complaint, Nandan Kumar Jha had undertaken the construction of a school building in Minapur under the Dagrua block. The engineer allegedly demanded a 6 per cent commission on the Measurement Book (MB) value. He had reportedly already taken money in instalments, and this time, he demanded Rs 10,000 and refused to sign the Measurement Book without payment.

Acting on the complaint, the Vigilance team registered a case under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act at its police station in Patna and laid a trap. The accused was caught while accepting the bribe.

Officials confirmed that Bhushan Prasad is currently being interrogated, and further legal proceedings are underway. The arrested engineer will be produced before the Vigilance Court in Patna on Friday.

The Vigilance Investigation Bureau has intensified its campaign against corruption, with frequent raids and arrests across the state. Authorities have reiterated their commitment to taking strict action against officials involved in bribery and misuse of power.

Earlier, on March 13, the Bihar Vigilance Investigation Bureau arrested a government official in a bribery case in Bettiah of West Champaran district. The vigilance team caught Anurag Abhishek, a Field Officer at the District Dairy Development Office, red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 inside his office premises.

The action was taken following a complaint lodged by Bablu Kumar, a resident of Gaunaha. Acting on the complaint, a special vigilance team from Patna conducted a raid in the Banuchhapar area and arrested the accused official.

/IANS