Thane, Dec 13: The scrutiny around the suspended deputy municipal commissioner (Encroachment) of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), Shankar Patole, intensified as the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) launched an open inquiry into fresh graft allegations against him.
Patole’s account and property will be scrutinised
According to ACB officials, the inquiry is currently at a fact-finding stage. This allows the bureau to broaden its net and seek relevant documents from various government departments, as well as summon individuals for questioning.
The investigation will focus on several key areas, including scrutiny of Patole’s financial records and bank transactions, examination of his property holdings and other assets to check for disproportionate income, and a review of inter-departmental communications and administrative decisions taken by Patole while he was in office.
“We are currently collating documents from various agencies about Patole and the inquiry is on the right track,” a senior ACB official said.
Caught taking bribe of Rs 25 lakh
Patole is under the scanner in an ACB case in which he was arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 25 lakh in cash from a developer for clearing encroachment-related permissions.
The trap, laid in October this year, led to his suspension from the civic body and triggered a wider examination of his decision-making record.
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Further Action Likely
The ACB is expected to submit its preliminary findings in the coming weeks. Sources indicate that if the open inquiry yields substantial evidence of disproportionate assets, further legal action, including the registration of a fresh FIR, may follow.
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