Dibrugarh: A deputy general manager of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) was arrested by the CBI in Upper Assam's Sivasagar district on Wednesday while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from a local contractor.

A police source said ONGC official Arabinda Kumar Singh had allegedly sought a bribe of Rs 12 lakh from the contractor, Rafiqul Hazarika in lieu of a Rs 3-crore contract.

Hazarika contacted the CBI office in Guwahati and filed a complaint against the ONGC official. The CBI officials laid a trap and caught Singh redhanded while accepting the first instalment of Rs 2 lakh.

Singh tried to throw away the currency notes but the notes had been laced with phenolphthalein powder, which had transferred itself to his hands. He was immediately taken into custody.

A source in the ONGC said this was an individual case and had nothing to do with the company.

"An FIR (RC0172018A0007) was registered on Tuesday under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, on the basis of a written complaint received by the branch. The complainant alleged that the accused, A.K. Singh, deputy general manager (D), ONGC, Assam Asset, Sivasagar, Assam, had demanded a bribe of Rs 12 lakh for passing his pending bills. The accused was caught redhanded while demanding and accepting illegal gratification of Rs 2 lakh from the complainant today (Wednesday). The accused has been arrested and will be produced before the special judge, CBI, in Guwahati on Thursday. Searches are being conducted at his residential and official address. The results of the searches are yet to be received," a CBI release said.

ONGC public relations officer Dipankar Saikia declined to comment.