Mumbai: BMC engineer arrested for demanding ₹9 lakh to ‘legalise’ Chapel Road house

The Mumbai Unit of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested an assistant engineer of the Buildings and Factories Department of the H-West ward of the BMC, and another private person, for allegedly demanding ₹9 lakh for allegedly not taking action against a man whose two-storeyed structure at Chapel Road was considered unauthorised.

While the BMC engineer, Mohan Rathod, 42, works at the BMC’s Bandra West office, the other person has been identified as Mohammad Shoaib Mohammad Raza Khan, 40, a resident of Malwani in Malad.

Rathod demanded ₹15 lakh to avoid action

According to the ACB, the complainant has a ground-plus-two house at Chapel Road in Bandra West. On Jan 16, he received an eviction notice from the BMC, which termed the first and second floors as unauthorised. On receiving the notice, he visited Rathod’s office to tell him that the construction was not unauthorised and requested him to not take action. The complainant alleged that Rathod demanded ₹15 lakh for it.

Not wanting to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the ACB and submitted a written complaint on Monday. A verification of the allegations was conducted by the agency, which revealed that Rathod had allegedly demanded ₹9 lakh, which was settled at ₹8.50 lakh.

Khan caught red-handed taking bribe

On Tuesday, a trap was laid by the ACB and Khan was caught red-handed while accepting ₹8.50 lakh from the complainant, on the alleged instructions of Rathod. The two have been booked under sections 7 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) and 12 (abetment of offences) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.