An official in Palghar, Maharashtra, has been arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe, highlighting ongoing efforts to combat corruption in government offices.
Key Points
- An official in Palghar, Maharashtra, was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for allegedly accepting a Rs 7 lakh bribe.
- The additional tehsildar is accused of demanding a Rs 10 lakh bribe to prevent the demolition of an unauthorised construction.
- The additional tehsildar also allegedly sought Rs 40 lakh for converting land into the non-agricultural category.
- The ACB laid a trap and caught a tehsildar office staffer accepting the bribe on behalf of himself and another official.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested a man working at the office of a tehsildar in Maharashtra's Palghar district for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 7 lakh, officials said on Wednesday.
Details of the Bribery Case
A case has also been registered against an additional tehsildar (revenue officer) who allegedly made the bribe demand and is absconding, they said.
As per the ACB, the additional tehsildar in Vasai initially demanded Rs 10 lakh from a person to refrain from demolishing an unauthorised construction. He had also allegedly sought Rs 40 lakh for converting the land into the non-agricultural (NA) category.
ACB's Action and Arrest
The person subsequently approached the ACB's Thane unit.
The ACB laid a trap on Tuesday and caught a tehsildar office staffer red-handed while accepting Rs 7 lakh, which had been negotiated down from the initial demand, on behalf of himself and another official, the anti-graft agency said.
Legal Proceedings
The staffer was arrested while a case was also registered against the additional tehsildar under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, it said.
