When Lekhpal Rajendra Prasad demanded a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from a farmer of Fatehabad, the latter decided to take matter into his own hands and expose him. According to a report in The Times of India, he planned and carried out a sting operation himself to catch Prasad in the act of accepting the bribe.
Kumar had 16 bigha of land of which the government had acquired 6.25 bigha, to construct the Agra-Lucknow expressway. The government of Uttar Pradesh owed Kumar Rs. 22 lakh.
The Lekhpal, who is a government clerk, had reportedly told the farmer that he would not demonstrate that Kumar’s land was used to link the road unless he was paid the money. If it was not exhibited then Kumar would stand to lose Rs 6 lakh, as it would would result in a reduced compensation of Rs 16 lakh instead of Rs 22 lakh.
Prasad had initially demanded Rs 5 lakhs but later settled for Rs 3 lakh.
Kumar had made a video of the Lekhpal taking a bribe from him. The video went viral and it exposed the act of bribery which had affected the lives of many farmers.
“This is multi-crore scam of land. I’m not the only victim, all the farmers whose land were acquired in the Fatehabad tehsil had been asked heftier bribe. This whole thing is being controlled by Teshildar Vijendar Singh. If probe is conducted fairly, other officials and staff involved would also be exposed in the matter,” Neeraj Kumar told The Times Of India.
The District Manager of Agra Pankaj Kumar informed the daily that they have suspended lekhpal Rajendra Prasad and the SDM of Fatehabad, JP Singh would probe in to the charges held against Teshildar Vijendar Singh.