Lucknow, Jan 7 (AHN) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a branch manager of the Uttar Pradesh Gramin Bank in the state's Basti district and a peon for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The arrested accused have been identified as Naveen Singh Kuldeep, the manager of the Uttar Pradesh Gramin Bank's Makhauda Dham branch in Basti, and Anil Kumar, a private person working as a peon at the same bank branch.

According to the CBI, the case was registered on Monday, following a complaint filed by a bank customer. The complainant alleged that he had applied for a loan of Rs 5 lakh under the Chief Minister Yuva Udhyami Yojana from the Uttar Pradesh Gramin Bank branch.

The loan was subsequently sanctioned, and an amount of Rs 2.72 lakh was disbursed to the complainant. However, the branch manager allegedly demanded an illegal gratification of Rs 15,000 through the peon for releasing the remaining portion of the sanctioned loan amount.

Following negotiations, the accused allegedly agreed to accept a bribe of Rs 10,000 from the complainant. Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap on Tuesday and caught both the branch manager and the peon red-handed while accepting the bribe amount.

Both accused have been arrested and are expected to be produced before the competent court. Further investigation into the matter is underway, the CBI said.

The CBI, just a few days ago, busted a bribery racket in the office of the Central Goods & Services Tax (CGST) in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi, during an operation launched on December 30 and has arrested a Deputy Commissioner (IRS-C&IT), two Superintendents, an Advocate, and the owner of a private company.

The CBI actively investigates bribery and fraud cases, leading to convictions of public servants and private individuals with punishment including imprisonment and hefty fines.