New Delhi: A Delhi government Deputy Forest Officer and a Forest Guard were booked by the CBI for demanding and taking Rs 95,000 bribe from a temple priest in exchange for shielding the premises from demolition in the Old Rajinder Nagar area of the Ridge. Rajesh Tandon, Deputy Forest Officer, and Ajay, Forest Guard, were named in an FIR by the federal agency on the complaint of Priest Lalit Narayan Jha, whose temple is situated on Sir Gangaram Hospital Road. In the FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday, the two forest department employees were slapped with charges related to criminal conspiracy and demand of undue advantage by public servant. In his complaint dated July 16, Lalit Narayan said that around 4-5 days ago, the Deputy Forest Officer (DFO) told him that his temple was built on forest land and a complaint for its demolition had been received. Tandon demanded Rs 1 lakh bribe for not demolishing the temple and took Rs 30,000 from him on the same day, the complaint said. The priest said the DFO came again the next day and took another Rs 10,000 bribe. The complaint said that on July 15, a person who identified himself as Forest Guard Ajay had taken a bribe of Rs 55,000 and told the complainant to talk to Tandon for saving the temple structure from impending demolition. The priest said Tandon again met him and demanded Rs 60,000 bribe. (IANS)
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