The Haryana State Vigilance Bureau has arrested nine government officials, including three Gazetted officers while accepting bribes ranging from Rs 1500 to Rs 50,000 during the month of January this year.

Sharing the information on Friday, the spokesperson said that the bureau has registered seven cases under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act and took action against a total of 11 accused including a retired chief engineer of the public works (building and roads) department.

While nine officials were nabbed red-handed for taking bribes, a case under the PC Act was registered against the chief engineer (retired) Dharambir Dahiya and Sidhant Dahiya of Rohtak on the court orders.

Briefing about the arrests made in January, the spokesperson said deputy excise and taxation commissioner Raja Ram Nain posted in Bahadurgarh was caught red-handed receiving bribe of Rs 50000, while Mahavir Sharma, district horticulture officer posted in Panipat was nabbed receiving Rs 30000 bribe in lieu of performing official duties.

Similarly, Naib Tehsildar in Satnali district Narnaul, Amit Kumar and registry clerk Sombir Singhwere arrested taking Rs 14000 bribe. A patwari  at Dhauj village in Faridabad, Baljit and assistant of patwari Ishwar  were caught taking a bribe of Rs 1500.

Lalit posted as guard in the mining and geology department, Sonipat and Ashok Kumar, mining officers were apprehended taking bribes of Rs 8500. Amit Kumar, junior engineer in power board in Karnal was caught taking a bribe of Rs 5000.

The spokesperson further added that the Bureau has registered five enquiries against one Gazetted officer, one non-Gazetted officer and four private persons on the direction of the state government. Out of these, three enquiries were finalised.

Out of three enquiries completed, the bureau has recommended the government to initiate a criminal case against seven gazetted officers, seven non-gazetted officers and three private persons.

In January, the bureau had also sent a report of two special checks to the government, recommending departmental action against three gazetted officers, one non-gazetted officer and to recover Rs 15750 from the concerned agency.