The Navi Mumbai unit of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) booked a forest ranger and a woman forest guard of the Forest Department’s Panvel range on Saturday for allegedly demanding Rs 100,000 from the complainant’s father and uncle to allow them to put up fencing and cutting tress at a land bought in Morbe in Panvel.
The accused official identified was as Gyaneshwar Gaikwad, 36, Ranger of Panvel unit and Madhuri Patil, 24, a Forest Guard with the Protection and Encroachment Prevention unit of the forest department’s Panvel range.
According to officials, the complainant’s father and uncle had bought land in Morbe in Panvel. However, they were not allowed to put fencing on the land. The two accused, Gaikwad and Patil, demanded Rs 1,20,000 for allowing them to put fencing, cutting trees, and not canceling their land registration. “They had demanded Rs 40,000 each for three works. However, both of them agreed to settle the deal at Rs 1,00,000”, said an official from Navi Mumbai ACB.
During the investigation, the official of ACB found the complained was right and accordingly a case was registered against them sunder ection 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (Amendment 2018).
