ACB Thane arrests forest officer, his associate for demanding ₹5 Lakh bribe

Thane: The Thane Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested a forest circle officer and his associate on Wednesday for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 5 lakh. The bribe was demanded from the complainant to avoid taking action against him for encroaching on his land.

The accused individuals have been identified as Razzaq Rashid Mansuri (51), a forest circle officer posted at Mandvi in Palghar, and Daniyal Haji Khan (52), an agriculturist and resident of Khanivali in Palghar.

1st instalment of bribe scheduled to be paid on Wed

According to Sunil Lokhande, Superintendent of Police at ACB Thane, "The forest circle officer Razzaq Mansuri and his associate Daniyal Haji Khan demanded a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from a 50-year-old complainant. The first installment of Rs 2.5 lakh was scheduled to be paid on Wednesday. The bribe was demanded to prevent any action regarding the encroachment on the land. The complainant filed a complaint with us, and our team set a trap at Mansuri's office, resulting in the arrest of both Mansuri and Khan red-handed while accepting the bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh. A case has been registered against them at Mandvi police station under section 7(a) and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act."