Two civic employees are among three people arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 16,000 to stop the demolition of an illegally constructed structure in Maharashtra`s Thane district, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said on Thursday, reported the PTI.
The accused have been identified as Rajesh Kadam (43), a clerk in the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation’s (MBMC) anti-encroachment department; Suhas Keni (55), a sanitary worker from the same department; and Sanjay Bhola (47), a private individual who acted as the middleman, as per the PTI.
According to Sachin Gore, inspector with the Thane ACB, the two MBMC staff members had initially demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000, later settling at Rs 16,000. The complainant had built a small temporary room using iron sheets for short-term use at Kajupada on Ghodbunder Road, and the civic employees allegedly sought payment to avoid taking action against the structure.
The complainant then approached the ACB, which laid a trap near a hotel and caught Bhola while he was accepting Rs 16,000 on behalf of the two municipal employees. Following Bhola’s arrest, the ACB team subsequently detained Kadam and Keni as well.
An investigation is currently underway.
A case has been registered at the Kashigaon police station under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Meanwhile, in an another incident, last month, a court in Mumbai on Thursday sentenced a former Assistant Commissioner of GST to five years’ imprisonment in a bribery case, stating that his conduct “does not deserve any leniency”, as per the PTI.
Special Judge for Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) cases, A. V. Kharkar, found Ashok Nayak guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act as well as for criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on him.
The case was lodged in May 2017 following a complaint by a businessman who owns a bar and restaurant in the city. According to the complaint, Nayak, then serving as Assistant Commissioner of Central Excise, demanded Rs 12 crore to settle a matter pending with the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He allegedly insisted that 25 to 30 per cent of the amount be paid within a day or two to prevent the complainant’s arrest by the ED, according to the PTI.
The complaint further stated that Nayak claimed he could resolve the issue by using his influence with a “senior bureaucrat” in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The original demand of Rs 12 crore was later reduced to Rs 10 crore.
Acting on the complaint, the ACB laid a trap and arrested Nayak while he was accepting the first instalment of Rs 1.25 crore.
The court observed that the evidence proved beyond doubt that the accused had demanded illegal gratification to influence an unknown public servant and had willingly accepted the money. As a public servant, he was expected to perform his duties honestly and sincerely, and his actions did not warrant any leniency, the judge said.
However, taking into account his age and a cardiac condition, the court awarded him simple imprisonment rather than rigorous imprisonment.
(with PTI inputs)
