Mumbai: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials have arrested a forest guard in an illegal gratification case. The accused public servant had caught the complainant while illegally transporting sand from the forest area and allegedly demanded a bribe from him for not filing a case for illegal sand transportation.
Accused guard, Bhushan Shevre, 34, also said he would allow the complainant's illegal sand transportation business to continue smoothly from the forest department’s territory in the future. Shevre was serving at the forest guard office Kinista, forest department Jawhar in Palghar.
According to the ACB, on December 21, last year, the complainant was found by Shevre while illegally transporting sand in his tractor using the forest department’s road. Shevre allegedly demanded a bribe from the complainant in order to not to file a case.
Details of the complaint:
As per the complainant, Shevre allegedly demanded ₹1,00,000 out of which ₹30,000 was accepted by him on the same day and he asked the complainant to bring the remaining bribe amount to his office later.
The complainant instead filed a complaint on January 1, with the ACB’s Palghar office. The officials verified the allegations and it was disclosed that Shevre had taken ₹30,000 from the complainant and had demanded ₹30,000 more.
A trap was laid on Monday and Shevre was caught red-handed by the ACB team while accepting a bribe of ₹30,000 from the complainant at the forest department office at Mokhada. A case has been registered by the ACB under section 7 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
