The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has initiated an open enquiry into the disproportionate assets of Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Mumbai Monorail DLN Murti. The agency will now look into the movable, immovable assets, foreign visits, bank accounts of Murti as part of the enquiry. The ACB had booked Murti last month for allegedly demanding bribe of Rs 20 lakh from the owner of a facility management company which had received a contract related to housekeeping, maintenance and related services to Monorail.
"We have initiated DLN Murti's open enquiry for disproportionate assets. All the immovable, movable properties of Murti and his family will be scrutinized. His foreign visits if any and bani transactions will also be examined," said an ACB official.
Last month, owner of a facility management company has approached the ACB stating that his company had received a contract related to safai workers, housekeeping, maintenance staff and customer service associates under the Mumbai Monorail project. The contract period was from January 2019 till August 2020.
"After the completion of contract period, the bill payment of Rs 2.50 crore and Rs 32 lakh bank guarantee was pending from the Monorail to give it to the complainant's company. After several attempts of following up, Mumbai Monorail had released the bill amount of Rs 2.10 crore in February-March 2021 and Rs 22 lakh of bank guarantee in June 2021 for the complainant's company," said an ACB official.
"However, Rs 40 lakh bill payment and Rs 11 bank guarantee was still pending with the Mumbai Monorail. The complainant had alleged that in order to clear the released and pending amount, Dr Murti had intentionally kept the payment file pending at his end and made attempts to make a demand of Rs 20 lakh bribe. The complainant then approached the ACB and gave a complaint in this regard. A verification of allegations made by the complainant was done on July 02 which established that a bribe was demanded after which a case was registered under section 7 (Public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) of The Prevention of Corruption Act," the ACB had claimed in a statement.
