Kathmandu. Chief Forest Officer of Sub-Division Forest Office, Bandipur, Ramkewal Raya Yadav has been arrested. A team from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) arrested him with Rs 12,000 in bribe.

According to the CIAA,Yadav had demanded a bribe of Rs 12,000 at the rate of Rs 4,000 per truck from the proprietor of a timber industry operating in Karjan ha Municipality-2 . After the service recipient filed a complaint with the CIAA saying that the bribe was demanded, the CIAA had started monitoring in a planned manner by collecting the necessary evidence .

The CIAA team caught Yadav red-handed after he had taken a bribe of Rs 12,000 from the municipality-4 in the meantime, . Along with the arrest, the CIAA has started preparing a case on the spot, collecting evidences and other legal processes have been initiated.

Prakash Pokharel, spokesperson of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Bardibas, said that the necessary legal process is being completed on the spot after taking the arrested forest officer under control.After the completion of the process, he will be taken to the Bardibas office for further investigation.

After this incident, the debate has started again on the issue of irregularities in the service related to the forest office and controlling bribery. The CIAA has said it is forwarding the investigation in line with the zero-tolerance policy against corruption-related activities. Further investigation into the incident is underway, the commission said.