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An Assistant commissioner of Commercial Taxes Department, Anil Kumar was caught red-handed by the Vigilance Bureau while accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 from a businessman at Ara on Saturday. Kumar is posed at Sahabad circle in Bhojpur district.

According to sources, BK Mishra, a businessman associated with an NGO, Pragya Bharti, had lodged a complaint with the Bureau's Patna office alleging that the assistant commissioner was demanding Rs 25,000 as bribe for issuing Tin Vat number to his wife's medicine shop and clearing arrear of Rs 39,000.

Subsequently, a team led by DSP, VK Srivastava was sent to Ara to verify the allegation. The team raided the assistant commissioner's office and caught him red-handed while taking Rs 25000 as bribe from Mishra. Later, another team led by DSP PK Mishra raided Kumar's Anandpuri residence in the State Capital.

"We have already seized two cars from the assistant commercial tax officer's residence. The house has been sealed and search operation will be carried out in his presence," said Neelmani, ADG, Vigilance. Kumar owns a four-storeyed building at Anandpuri (West Boring Canal Road), Bureau officials said. 

The arrested officer would be produced in the special vigilance court in Patna on Sunday after interrogation at the Bureau office. The ADG said altogether 117 officials, including 46 gazetted officers, had been booked on graft charges by the Bureau since January this year.