Bribery Probe: ₹30 Lakh Gold Found at Home of ₹38K-Salary Official

Sonipat (The Uttam Hindu) : New and shocking revelations have emerged in the high-profile bribery case involving Shashank Sharma, the Personal Assistant (PA) to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Sonipat. The accused was arrested red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while accepting a bribe of ₹3.5 lakh in exchange for facilitating a transfer within the DC office. Investigations since his arrest have uncovered startling financial irregularities, including a suspicious transaction of ₹76 lakh, significantly widening the scope of the probe.

According to ACB officials, Shashank Sharma was caught while taking ₹3.5 lakh from Jitendra Kumar, a clerk in the DC’s office. The bribe was the remaining amount out of ₹5 lakh allegedly demanded by Sharma to transfer Kumar to the post of registry clerk at the Rai sub-tehsil. Kumar had already paid ₹1.5 lakh earlier and later approached the ACB, leading to the trap and arrest on Friday.

Following the arrest, a search at Shashank’s residence yielded 30 tolas of gold and silver jewellery valued at over ₹30 lakh, a significant find given his modest government salary. Notably, Sharma had joined the service with a salary of ₹28,000, which had only risen to ₹38,000 at the time of his arrest. Authorities have stated that he was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the source of his wealth, including a valuable bracelet worn by his wife, which has since been confiscated.

Further investigation revealed a complex network involving other office staff, DITS operators, and even a driver, allegedly used by Sharma to funnel and conceal illegal payments between 2022 and June 2025. The discovery of ₹76 lakh in suspicious transactions prompted the formation of a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by DCP Narendra Kadian.

Shashank Sharma is currently in judicial custody for 14 days. The complainant’s advocate has submitted detailed documentation of the bribery incident as evidence in court. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 5. Authorities have indicated that more arrests and disclosures are likely in the coming days as the SIT expands its investigation. The case has sparked widespread outrage and calls for a deeper clean-up of corruption within administrative offices.