Burkule, the SP, was found in possession of Rs 70,000 cash while his house search resulted in recovery of Rs 40 lakh
Mumbai : Mumbai’s Central Prison Superintendent of Police Vasudev Burkule and his deputy have been arrested for allegedly accepting bribe of Rs 35,000 from a jail officer to clear him in the Maharashtra prison manual exam, the ACB said on Thursday.
Burkule and his deputy Pradeep Pathrikar were arrested from Central Prison Police Officials’ Residential Colony in South Mumbai, after a trap was laid on Wednesday night, Additional Police Commissioner (ACB), Vishwas Nangare Patil told newsmen.
Pathrikar was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 35,000, which was the first instalment of the total demanded sum of Rs 40,000, whereas Burkule was apprehended as his subordinate was taking the bribe on his behalf, he added.
Burkule, the SP of Central Prison, known as the Arthur Road jail, was found in possession of Rs 70,000 cash while his house search resulted in recovery of Rs 40 lakh, the IPS officer added.
According to ACB, a jail officer had appeared for the Maharashtra Prison Manual Exam on March 25. The paper had come before Burkule for checking.
“Pathrikar approached the victim saying that his paper has come before Burkule but he (Pathrikar) has been checking it. Pathrikar told the victim that he is scoring less marks and may not clear the exam but the marks can be increased if he pays Rs 40,000 to them,” Patil said.
Not willing to bribe the police officers, the victim approached the Maharashtra Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday.
Without wasting time, the ACB directed the victim to meet Burkule at his office so that a trap can be laid. Accordingly, the victim met Burkule, who instructed him to hand over Rs 35,000 to his deputy. The victim was told to give the remaining Rs 5,000 later.
The complainant then went to the residential colony and handed over Rs 35,000 to Pathrikar last night where ACB officials caught him red-handed.
Subsequently, Burkule was arrested under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Besides cash of Rs 40 lakh at Burkule’s official residence, ACB found Rs 17.5 lakh as fixed deposits and 25 lakh in savings accounts in various banks.
Also, 75 grams of gold estimated to be valued over Rs two lakh was found in a bank locker, the police said.
“Burkule has fixed deposits of Rs 12.5 lakh in SBI bank (Nanded). He has Rs five lakh in cash in his savings account while fixed deposit of Rs five lakh, besides 75 grams of gold in a locker in Bank of Maharashtra (Nanded). His Bank of Maharashtra’s saving account (Agripada in Mumbai) has 20 lakh in cash,” said an ACB officer.
Nothing incriminating has been found in Pathrikar’s residence so far, the police said.
Meanwhile, a special Anti-Corruption Bureau Court today remanded Burkule and Pathrikar to ACB custody till April 19. -PTI
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