The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) arrested a rural municipality engineer and an accountant on two separate sting operations in Rupandehi and Mahottari districts.

The team of personnel from the corruption watchdog’s Butwal office arrested Kotahimai Rural Municipality engineer Arvind Kumar Yadav on charge of demanding a bribe of Rs45,000 from service seekers.

According to a complaint registered at the CIAA, Yadav had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs45,000 from a service seeker in order to pass the budget for the construction of a road in ward 7 of the rural municipality of Rupandehi district.

Similarly, an accountant Raushan Kumar Raut of Samsi Rural Municipality of Mahottari district was also caught red-handed taking a bribe of Rs125,000.

Acting on a tip about the alleged bribery, a team of CIAA personnel from Bardibas had carried out a sting operation on Wednesday, following which Raut and the rural municipality office assistant Gharin Yadav were taken into police custody.

Raut has been accused of demanding bribes from service seekers for releasing money upon the completion of a Covid-related public awareness programme.

Further investigation into both cases are underway.