MHADA man gets two years in jail for bribe

The Special Sessions Court in Mumbai has sentenced a Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority official to two-years in jail and fined him Rs 20,000 for accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 in 2011. The accused, Ashok Malhari Sonavane was assistant deputy chief officer of MHADA's Mumbai division when he took the bribe.

According to Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials, the complainant, Ravindra Gunaji Chaugule, got a MHADA flat through a lottery system in 2011. Sonavane then demanded Rs 10,000 bribe for handing over the keys and documents of the flat to him. Angered, Chaugule approached ACB officials and registered an FIR against Sonavane. The officials then laid a trap and arrested Sonavane while he was accepting the bribe.

u00a0The matter which came up for hearing before special sessions judge VA Daulatabadkar on Friday, after the ACB officials submitted a charge-sheet in court. The judge sentenced Sonavane to two years rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 20,000. Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP) Bhagwat Bansod investigated the matter.