ACB BOOKS TWO BMC ENGINEERS FOR DEMANDING ₹3LAKH BRIBE

MUMBAI: Two engineers of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) were booked by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) for demanding ₹3 lakh bribe to not take action against an alleged construction in a Juhu salon.

The ACB has booked 29-yearold Amol Jadhav, junior engineer, and 36-year-old Anand Nerurkar, sub-engineer – both working with the K-west (Andheri, Juhu) ward. The complainant works at a Juhu-based salon which had undertaken interior decoration work.

When the ward learnt about the work, a notice alleging illegal construction was issued to the salon. Subsequently, the complainant was asked by his employer to meet the concerned officers. “The complainant met the accused, who demanded bribe,” said an ACB officer.

The complainant then approached the ACB. “Investigations revealed that Jadhav demanded a bribe of ₹3 lakh, which was lowered to ₹2 lakh by Nerurkar,” he said. ACB sources said a trap was laid to arrest the accused while accepting the bribe. “They may have got suspicious and did not accept the money during the trap. We registered a case of bribe demand,” said the officer. According to the law, acceptance of bribe is not a mandatory requirement to prosecute a public servant and demand for it also punishable.

ACB then searched Nerurkar’s residence in Dindoshi and Jadhav’s house in Charkop. “We have seized certain documents,” said the officer. The duo 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, 1988.