Maharashtra: PWD official in Thane held for demanding bribe to clear contractor's dues

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The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested an official from the Public Works Department (PWD) in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 15,000 from a contractor to clear his dues, an official said on Friday.

An offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against Vishal Gosavi (34), a junior clerk with the PWD (Tribal), inspector Rajesh Jadge of the Thane ACB said.

As per the complaint, the department had to pay the contractor Rs 5.79 lakh and to clear the dues, the accused official demanded Rs 5,000 for the audit officer and Rs 10,000 for issuing the work order, the official said.

The Thane ACB laid a trap on Thursday evening and caught the clerk red-handed while accepting Rs 10,000 from the contractor, he said.

Meanwhile, a prayer hall of the Christian community was allegedly vandalised by unidentified miscreants in Maharashtra's Thane city. The incident occurred at a premises used as a prayer hall by the community in Tulsidham locality of the city, an official said.

Also read: Christian prayer hall vandalised in Thane; police case registered

Based on a complaint, an offence under section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code was registered on Thursday, the official said.

The complainant stated that when she reached the prayer hall on Thursday morning, she found mud smeared on the entrance board of the premises and the Cross was also defaced, he said.

Some window panes were smashed, and wires of the air conditioner and electric meters were damaged, the official said, adding that a banner with objectionable words was put up on the door of the premises. The police are probing the matter and no arrests have been made in this connection so far, he said.

On August 30, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested a head clerk with the Co-operative Societies Sub-Registrar office in Thane for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 25,000 from a person.

The 35-year-old accused had allegedly made a demand of Rs 50,000 from a housing society member over his request for issuance of a notice against the society, the appointment of an administrator and carrying out an audit of the building, the ACB said in a release. The accused later agreed to accept a sum of Rs 45,000 for the purpose, it said.

The housing society member lodged a complaint with the Thane unit of the ACB, which laid a trap at the sub-registrar's office in Bhayander area on Tuesday and nabbed the accused who accepted the first instalment of Rs 25,000 out of the agreed bribe amount, the official said.

The accused was booked under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the ACB said. (With inputs from agencies)