03 June,2026 12:46 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
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A clerk from the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra's Palghar district was arrested for accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 to initiate action in an alleged land encroachment matter, an official said on Wednesday
Accused Dilip Laxman Lokhande (52) is posted at Sativali, G-Ward office, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Dadaram Karande from the ACB's Thane unit said that a man holding the power of attorney for a piece of land approached the civic clerk after a person encroached upon the plot and cut down trees.
Lokhande allegedly demanded Rs 10,000 to serve a notice and take action. After the man approached the ACB, a trap was laid on Tuesday, and Lokhande was caught accepting the bribe amount, the official said, reported PTI.
He has since been arrested, and a case has been registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act at the Valiv police station, the official added.
In another case, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday took a woman police officer into custody in Nagpur for allegedly demanding a bribe from a man in exchange for shielding him from legal action in a criminal case, officials said, reported PTI.
The accused has been identified as Pranali Benke, a Sub-Inspector posted at the Wathoda Police Station.
According to the ACB officials, the complainant had approached the police regarding a commission dispute with a woman. During the inquiry, the woman filed a counter-complaint accusing him of molestation, reported PTI.
The man approached the anti-corruption agency, alleging that Benke, through a private intermediary, demanded Rs 20,000 as a bribe to avoid taking action against him in the case of alleged molestation, reported PTI.
The officer later allegedly increased the demand to Rs 30,000 before agreeing to accept Rs 10,000, they said.
"Although the accused did not ultimately accept the money, the demand for illegal gratification was verified during our inquiry," an ACB official said.
Meanwhile, a revenue official was arrested while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 50,000 in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar, ACB officials said on Tuesday.
The accused, Ankush Kumar, was posted as a 'patwari' in Padampur tehsil of Sri Ganganagar.
According to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the accused had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a complainant for carrying out partition and correction of a joint land account.
Acting on the complaint, a team from the ACB's Special Unit in Bikaner verified the demand and laid a trap, during which the accused was caught red-handed while accepting the first instalment of Rs 50,000, officials said.
The recovered amount included Rs 10,000 in genuine currency and Rs 40,000 in dummy notes.
(With inputs from PTI)
