The accused, Dr Santosh Kumar Patel, was arrested by the ACB's Bilaspur unit during a planned trap operation on Wednesday night. Officials said the doctor had allegedly demanded the money in exchange for forwarding salary-related pay data required for the release of the complainant's pending wages.

According to the ACB, the complainant, Ganga Prasad Ratnakar, is a Grade-II pharmacist who has been attached to the District Hospital in Sakti since February 2026. His original posting is at the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) office in Portha, Sakti district.

Ratnakar alleged that despite performing his duties, his salary for May and June 2026 had not been processed because the required pay data had not been forwarded to the CMHO office. He claimed that Dr Patel demanded ₹20,000 per month for forwarding his pay records from February to June 2026, taking the total alleged bribe demand to ₹1 lakh.

Instead of paying the amount, the pharmacist approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau and lodged a formal complaint. After verifying the allegations, ACB officials concluded that a prima facie case existed and decided to organise a trap operation.

According to investigators, Dr Patel instructed the complainant to bring the money to Dabhra on July 23. The meeting was reportedly fixed near Dabhra College Chowk, where the complainant arrived in a Scorpio vehicle carrying the marked currency notes provided as part of the trap.

Officials said that at around 9 pm, the accused entered the complainant's vehicle and accepted the cash. The ACB team, which had been monitoring the transaction, immediately intervened and caught the Civil Surgeon while he was allegedly in possession of the bribe amount.

The entire sum of ₹1 lakh was recovered from the accused at the spot. Following the arrest, the ACB registered a case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and initiated further legal proceedings.

Investigators are now examining whether similar demands were made from other employees in the department and whether additional officials were involved in the alleged corruption. Officials indicated that further questioning and scrutiny of official records would form part of the investigation.

The arrest has triggered concern within the district's health administration, where the accused held a key supervisory position at the government hospital. The incident has also raised questions regarding administrative procedures linked to salary processing and internal oversight in the health department.

The ACB has reiterated that government employees facing demands for illegal gratification should report such incidents instead of paying bribes. Officials said public cooperation remains an important factor in identifying and acting against corruption in government offices.

The investigation is continuing, and the agency is expected to present the accused before the competent court while pursuing additional evidence in the case.