Hazaribagh, June 29: A vigilance team today nabbed a senior official of the department of special works red-handed as he was accepting a bribe of Rs 45,000.

Jawahar Shah, an executive engineer of the department, looked after different districts of North Chotanagpur commissionerate.

A trap was laid after a Ramgarh based construction company, Jyoti Construction, complained against him.

Sources said the company contacted the vigilance bureau in Ranchi and said Shah was demanding Rs 5lakh for release of funds against a contract granted to it.

Owner of the company Jyoti Prakash said Shah was demanding the money and mounting undue pressure to release Rs 25lakh as the first instalment for a project of Rs 5crore.

According to him, Shah later agreed to take Rs.45,000 in the first phase and called Jyoti to his office today.

The vigilance department was informed and a trap was laid. Officials reached the spot and handed over chemically treated cash to Shah. As soon as Shah took the cash, vigilance officials caught him.

Jyoti said he was getting regular threats from Shah, forcing him to complain.