In a major crackdown on corruption, the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SV&ACB) on Thursday arrested three revenue officials during a trap operation in Gohar, Mandi, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe in connection with land mutation work.

The accused have been identified as Kanungo Bansi Lal, Patwari Arun Dhiman and Patwari Sahayak Lalit Kumar. According to officials, the trio allegedly demanded Rs 2 lakh from a complainant for processing a land mutation. While Bansi Lal and Arun Dhiman allegedly made the demand, Lalit Kumar was tasked with collecting the bribe.

Acting on the complaint, the SV&ACB laid a trap and caught Lalit Kumar red-handed while allegedly accepting Rs 1 lakh as the first instalment of the bribe in Gohar. The tainted currency was recovered in the presence of independent witnesses.

The case has drawn attention because Bansi Lal was due to retire on July 31 and was arrested just eight days before his superannuation. Sources said this could be the first case in the sub-division in which officials at all three levels of the revenue hierarchy — Kanungo, Patwari and Patwari Sahayak — have been arrested together in a corruption case.

Following the operation, all three accused were taken into custody for questioning. The Vigilance Bureau has registered a case under the relevant provisions of the law and launched a detailed investigation to determine the role of each accused and collect further evidence. Investigators are also examining documentary evidence and recording statements as part of the probe.

Confirming the development, Priyank Gupta, DSP, SV&ACB, Mandi, said the operation was carried out after the bureau received a complaint. “We received a complaint and planned the operation accordingly,” he said.

Gupta added that the investigation could uncover more instances of similar alleged extortion by the accused. The Vigilance Bureau said strict action would be taken against anyone found guilty, reiterating that no individual involved in corruption would be spared.