Mantralaya officer held for accepting Rs 6.37 lakh bribe in Mumbai

The accused official was caught while allegedly accepting the bribe money in Kharghar and Navi Mumbai. Representational Pic

The Mumbai Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has apprehended a Mantralaya section officer for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 6.37 lakh to approve funds for developmental works, officials said, PTI reported.

The accused, Vilas Lad, is a Class I officer posted at the state secretariat in south Mumbai, an official said on Sunday.

The complainant had applied for a government grant to develop basic infrastructure facilities in his village on behalf of a village sarpanch. While following up on the proposal, he met Lad, who allegedly demanded Rs 6.37 lakh to approve the funds, the official said, the news agency reported.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, the applicant approached the ACB in Mumbai and lodged a complaint. A verification conducted by the anti-graft agency on March 16 confirmed that Lad had demanded the bribe.

The accused official was caught while allegedly accepting the bribe money in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, the official said, adding that he was arrested after a case was registered under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Further investigation is underway.

Thane ST scrutiny panel officer held for taking Rs 2.5 lakh bribe

Earlier in March, the Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested a woman official from the Scheduled Tribes certificate scrutiny committee for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh from a man to clear files of his family members in Maharashtra's Thane city, an official said.

The ACB caught Meenakshi N Unhale (46), the deputy director (Research) of the committee's Konkan Division (Class 1 officer), accepting a bribe from the complainant at her office in the Charai area in Thane on Friday, the official said.

The Scheduled Tribes Certificate Scrutiny Committee (STCSC) verifies the genuineness of Scheduled Tribe certificates.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (ACB, Raigad-Alibag) Sarita Bhosale stated that Unhale had allegedly demanded Rs 2.5 lakh from the complainant to clear the caste verification files of his wife and daughter. Unwilling to pay the sum, he approached the ACB.

The ACB's Raigad unit laid a trap and caught Unhale red-handed in her cabin while accepting the amount, she said.

A case was registered against the accused officer under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and a probe is underway, the official said.

(With PTI inputs)