Palghar: Education officer held by ACB in graft case

An Education Officer has been booked by the officers of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe from a teacher in exchange for facilitating his posting at a school in Vasai Taluka. The accused public servant was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe at her home on Monday, officials said.

The accused public servant has been identified as Lata Sanap (50), Education Officer (Primary Section) at Palghar district.

According to the ACB, Lata Sanap had demanded Rs 50,000 from the teacher in exchange for facilitating his appointment at a school in Vasai Taluka. But since the complainant did not want to pay the bribe, he approached the ACB and filed a written complaint against Sanap.

Verification of the allegations made by the complainant against Sanap had revealed that she had demanded a bribe of Rs 50000 and the deal was later finalised at Rs 25,000, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police (ACB- Palghar) Navnath Jagtap.

"A trap was laid and Sanap was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 25000 from the complainant at her Palghar residence. The accused public servant would be produced before the concerned court where we would seek her ACB remand," said an ACB official.

The accused person has been booked under section 7 (Public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) of The Prevention of Corruption Act.