The Thane unit of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) detained four people including an assistant director of state government’s directorate of technical education, principal and two staffers of an architecture college in Mira Road, for taking bribes from students.
The accused have been identified as assistant director of the technical and joint director divisional officer Jitendra Ramdasji Nikhade (54), principal of Smt KL Tiwari College of Architecture Rupali Hitendra Gupte (50), office superintendent of the college Santosh Rangrao Hubale, (45) and senior clerk Shreya Santosh Bane (46) under sections 7 (a) and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was registered against the quartet at the Mira Road police station on Wednesday.
The action followed in response to a complaint filed by the 51-year-old, who stated that his daughter, a second year B Arch student had to take admission in the third year of Smt KL Tiwari College which is located in the Kanakia area of Mira Road, as the previous college was closed.
Five months after taking admission and attending college, the complainant’s daughter and other students who had migrated from the other college were asked to pay Rs. 30,000 as bribe to government officers in order to secure their examination seat and an official nod for allowing change of subjects.
After receiving the complaint, the ACB team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Ashwini Patil laid a trap and caught the senior clerk while accepting Rs. 15,000 from the complainant allegedly on behalf of the office superintendent and the principal.
Further investigations revealed that the college staffers had demanded Rs.30,000 each from 14 students out of which, ten paid the money. Apart from recovering cash amounting Rs. 3.15 lakh, the ACB team has also found the list which comprises the name of students who had paid the money.
Notably, the conglomerate of several education institutions is run by a self-proclaimed Shikshan Samrat (Emperor of Education) who wields an enormous clout in the state’s political arena.
