Maharashtra: ACB arrests two for bribery in Palghar district

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The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested two persons, including an official of a firm associated with MMRDA, in connection with a bribe of Rs 7,000 collected from a local internet service provider in Maharashtra's Palghar district, an official told news agency PTI on Wednesday.

The duo has been identified as Ashok Kumar Suryabanshrai (34), a field supervisor of a technical consultancy firm contracted by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), and Sahid Salim Varsi (25), a private person, reported PTI.

Dayanand Gawde, ACB's deputy superintendent of police, Palghar, said in a statement that Suryabanshrai demanded Rs 7,000 from a local internet service provider to allow him to lay fibre optic cables over an electric pole installed within the limits of MMRDA in Dahanu, reported PTI.

The field supervisor claimed that the money would be given to MMRDA to obtain permission to lay the cables, the complainant told ACB.

The anti-graft body laid a trap and arrested Sahid accepting the bribe on behalf of Suryabanshrai on Tuesday. The field supervisor was also arrested, he said, reported PTI.

A case has been registered against the two under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the official added.

Meanwhile, an RTO inspector and a private individual have been arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 300 from a driver for allowing his vehicle to cross a checkpost in Maharashtra's Palghar district, an official told PTI on Tuesday.

The anti-corruption bureau's Thane unit on Monday arrested Niloba Jyotibha Tandale (48), vehicle inspector RTO Thane, and Sunil Bhoir (62) under the Prevention of Corruption Act, deputy superintendent of police ACB Thane Pramod Jadhav told PTI.

The accused inspector allegedly demanded Rs 300 from the complainant driver for allowing his vehicle to cross the Talasari RTO checkpost on Express Highway no 48, he said.

The duo accepted the bribe money and allowed the vehicle to pass through, following which the ACB officials nabbed them, the official told PTI.

In another case, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested an engineer, a technician and a clerk of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) and another man in a case of bribery in Thane district, the ACB said on Tuesday.

(With inputs from PTI)