Gumla: A block programme officer (BPO) of the education department posted at the block resource centre (BRC) in Kersai block of Simdega was caught red-handed by a team of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday for taking a bribe of Rs 8,000 from a school teacher in lieu of clearing a mid-day meal (MDM) expenditure statement.The accused officer was identified as Anik Khalko.“A school teacher, Ranjit Khakha, lodged a complaint with the ACB that an amount of Rs 1,25,394 was allotted to his school by the BPO for serving eggs and fruits under the mid-day meal (MDM) scheme, and the previous financial year’s unspent amount under the same head was Rs 17,244. Thus, the total was Rs 1,42,638. A total amount of Rs 1,09,212 was spent on eggs and fruits during 2025-26 fiscal,” read a statement issued by the ACB.“The BPO demanded Rs 15,000 from the complainant for clearing the report on the unspent amount when the latter went to submit it. The bribe amount was settled at Rs 8,000. The teacher lodged a case with the ACB, which, after verifying the fact, nabbed the accused, it added.