Thane: School senior clerk arrested for allegedly accepting Rs 5,000 bribe from retired employee

Representational image. File pic

The Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested a senior clerk of a school in Maharashtra's Thane city for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from a retired employee.

According to PTI, the clerk took a bribe in exchange for issuing the retired employee her Income Tax-related documents, an official said on Friday.

Inspector Anupama Khare of ACB Thane, while briefing about the incident, said, "Kisan Mahadeo Patil, a senior clerk at Srinagar Vidhya Mandir in the Wagle Estate area, was caught accepting the bribe amount at the institution's computer lab on Wednesday," as per PTI.

According to the complainant, Patil reportedly demanded a bribe from her to issue Form 16 for four years. He instructed her to pay the amount either in person through the school peon or via Google Pay.

Unwilling to pay the bribe, the retired employee lodged a formal complaint with the Thane unit of the ACB.

A case has been registered against the accused clerk under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and a probe is underway.

Shiv Sena (UBT) alleges corruption has crippled Maharashtra's economy

Amid continuous cases of corruption being reported across Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday launched a fresh attack on the Maharashtra government, alleging that widespread institutional corruption has severely affected the state's economy.

In an editorial published in its party mouthpiece Saamana, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party cited the Comptroller and Auditor General's (CAG) observations on the Ladki Bahin Yojana to allege financial irregularities and misuse of public funds.

The ruling Mahayuti government has not responded to the latest allegations made in the editorial.

Shiv Sena (UBT) also alleges misuse of public funds

The editorial also alleged that funds amounting to Rs 3,541 crore were disbursed through ineligible beneficiaries before the Model Code of Conduct came into force ahead of the Assembly elections.

Drawing comparisons with the concept of "State Capture", the editorial alleged that public resources had been misused for electoral purposes.

"Spending Rs 3,541 crore from the public treasury to systematically purchase 30 to 35 lakh votes is not ordinary corruption. It is the outright purchasing of a state by manipulating laws, tenders, and public policies for political survival," the editorial stated.

The allegations reflect the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s interpretation of the CAG findings. The government has not publicly accepted these allegations.