Jalgaon: A major corruption scandal has rocked Jalgaon district after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested the Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies along with a private individual for allegedly demanding a ₹5 lakh bribe to submit a favourable report in an inquiry related to a cooperative society.
The accused Deputy Registrar, identified as Jagdish Baburao Bari, a Class-I officer, was allegedly conducting a hearing into illegal moneylending allegations involving the complainant. According to the ACB, Bari demanded ₹5 lakh to ensure that no criminal case was filed against the complainant and their spouse and to submit a report in their favour.
After negotiations, the bribe amount was reportedly reduced from ₹5 lakh to ₹3 lakh. It was decided that the first instalment of ₹1.50 lakh would be paid initially.
The complainant approached the ACB on May 18 and lodged a complaint regarding the demand. During verification, the ACB confirmed that the bribe demand had indeed been made by the accused official.
Acting on the complaint, the ACB team laid a trap on May 20. During the operation, private individual Devidas Dhansing Patil allegedly accepted ₹1.50 lakh from the complainant on behalf of the Deputy Registrar. The ACB team caught both accused red-handed while accepting the money.
Officials said the process of registering a case against both accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act is currently underway. Further investigation into the matter is ongoing.
The operation was carried out by the ACB Jalgaon team under the guidance of senior officials, including Deputy Superintendent of Police Yogesh Thakur, Police Inspector Smita Navghare, Police Inspector Reshma Avtare, Police Inspector Hemant Nagare, Head Constable Balu Marathe, Woman Head Constable Sangita Pawar, Police Constable Manoj Patil and Police Constable Sachin Chate.
The incident has created a sensation in Jalgaon, especially as another recent bribery case involving a Public Works Department official allegedly accepting ₹5 lakh is already under discussion in the district.
