Mumbai: ACB nabs senior public prosecutor for taking bribe from builder

Mumbai: A senior public prosecutor (PP), who was representating Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai in many legal cases in sessions court, has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Mumbai officials on Thursday while accepting Rs 1 lakh bribe from a builder in exchange of not arguing against him in the court in a legal case. The builder had recorded the PP's bribe demand using a spy pen camera and later used it to nail her, ACB sources told Mid-Day.

BMC appointed PP Ujwala Dinkar Kumbhar, 42, who was also on BMC panel, was arrested arrested on Thursday evening at a bus stop near Reliance mall in Mumbai Central while receiving Rs 1 lakh cash.

According to ACB sources, the complainant in the case is a 38-year-old builder from Masjid area, who around December last year was, slapped an order by the BMC few months ago under section 354 of BMC Act for demolishing an illegal structure. The builder approached Session court and got a stay on the BMC's order. BMC then appointed Kumbhar for the job of getting the stay lifted from the order from the court.

"Kumbhar met the complainant builder 2-3 times and demanded Rs 2.5lakh for not arguing in the court against him indirectly making the case's results in his favors. After builder negotiated, she agreed to take Rs 2 lakh as bribe," said a senior ACB official.

"The builder played smart and recorded the entire bribe deal on a Spy Pen Camera and approached the ACB and showed the recording. ACB verified the complaint and after registering the case against her, on Thursday laid a trap in Mumbai Central and arrested Kumbhar while accepting Rs 1lakh as the first installment of the bribe money," officer added. ACB investigators will check if the accused person had indulged in similar practice in past.