Mumbai: Two BMC engineers caught by ACB in bribery case

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials have caught two Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) engineers for allegedly demanding bribe from the owner of an automobile spare parts shop for giving him permission to put up a shed for monsoon, in a common area of a building. During the office search of the cabin of one of the engineers, the ACB sleuths had recovered and seized unexplained cash Rs 17.64 lakh from the office drawer.

The accused BMC engineers have been identified as Amol Thavil (39) and Dattatraya Mane (36), both posted at the Buildings & Factories Department of the D-ward of BMC at Nana Chowk.

According to the ACB, the complainant, who is owner of an automobile spare parts shop in his complaint had alleged that Mane had demanded a bribe of Rs 2 lakh, for giving him permission to put up a shed for monsoon, in a common area of a building. The complainant, who did not wish to pay the bribe, gave a written complaint to the ACB on June 21 in this regard. On July 01, Mane and Thavil again allegedly demanded bribe from the complainant and settled the amount for Rs 1.90 lakh.

On Monday, Mane was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe amount of Rs 1.90 lakh from the complainant at his office. Later, Thavil, who also played an active role in the crime, was also caught by the ACB team. During the office search of the cabin of Thavil, the ACB sleuths had recovered and seized unexplained cash Rs 17.64 lakh from the office drawer. The accused public servants have 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.