APSC Topper, Present Forest Ranger Caught Accepting Bribe.

Guwahati; May 2026: Forest Ranger, Shivashish Shandilya who is at present posted in Lakhimpur, Assam was caught red handed by the Anti-Corruption Directorate while accepting bribe of Rs. 12,000/- inside his office. He happens to be APSC first-rank holder under Assam Forest Ranger Exam 2020.

Following his arrest, officials conducted a search at his residence in Japorigog, Guwahati, where an additional Rs 5.68 lakh in cash was recovered. The operation was carried out based on specific inputs, with local MLA Manab Deka facilitating contact between the complainant and anti-corruption officials, sources said.

A dumper vehicle owner, who assisted in laying the trap, alleged that the ranger had been demanding money regularly and harassing transporters. “I supply dumper vehicles, and many families depend on this work. The ranger used to threaten me and demand a monthly payment. When I failed to comply, he would stop my vehicles and harass us over minor issues like slight delays in challan timings”, he said. According to the complainant, the ranger again demanded money on April 30, prompting him to approach the MLA. “After I informed MLA Deka, I was connected with an anti-corruption officer. A plan was made, and he was caught red-handed while I handed him Rs 12,000”, he added.

The complainant further alleged the existence of a wider network of illegal collections. “Many may not speak out yet, but I believe there is a nexus. Around Rs 2,000 is allegedly collected from each vehicle entering the forest”, he claimed.

A local businessman also levelled systematic bribery allegations of within the forest department, claiming that payments were being made regularly despite holding valid permits. “Even with permits, we have to pay Rs 30,000 to the ranger and Rs 40,000 to the DFO every month. Other staff demand around Rs 7,000. I have paid over Rs 05 crores in bribes ever since I started working”, he alleged.

Explaining why he had not approached authorities earlier, he said, “I could not. I had to beg them to let me run my business to support my children who are studying outside the state”, He also claimed that in 2025, he was forced to pay Rs 08 lakhs as a “fine” despite his vehicle being empty.

Meanwhile, forest official Mriganka Borah said he was not yet aware of the details of the case. “It has been just one month since my posting here. I have not been questioned by anti-corruption officials. If there is any misconduct, we will investigate and take appropriate action,” he said. Authorities have launched a detailed probe to trace the source of the seized cash and examine possible wider links to corruption within the department.

Team Maverick.