Thane: The Thane Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested a Zonal Forest Officer of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs6,000 for allowing the transportation of sand trucks inside Yeoor forest in Thane city. The suspect has been identified as Vikas Kadam, 50.
Sunil Lokhande, Superintendent, ACB, Thane, said, “The suspect allegedly demanded Rs600 each from 10 truck drivers transporting sand on Jan 23. The complainant approached the ACB and our team caught the suspect while accepting Rs6,000 from the complainant near Upvan lake in Thane city.”
Lokhande further added, “We have registered a case under provisions of the Corruption Act and the case is being investigated further.”
Yogesh Mundhara, a social activist from Thane, said, “It has become clear that forest department officials are involved in the increasing illegal constructions at Yeoor in the past few years.”
Mr Mundhara added, “The material for construction is taken to Yeoor through SGNP’s entrance gate and there is a forest department office without whose nod not a single vehicle can go inside. It seems the trucks are gaining entry after giving bribe, which is why illegal constructions are flourishing inside the forest.”
