Ashram school owner alleges bribery, beats up minister’s staffer in Mantralaya

A section officer from the office of social justice minister Rajkumar Badole was beaten up by the proprietor of an ashram school at Badole’s office on Wednesday. The school-owner alleged the officer did not sanction the ashram school despite receiving an advance of Rs 10 lakh. The minister’s office has, however, refuted the allegations, claiming the person is mentally disturbed and is an agent who had collected money from few people and has assured them of obtaining the minister's approval for ashram schools.

Arun Nithure, the proprietor of an unaided ashram school in Osmanabad district alleged, a personal assistant of Badole had demanded Rs 10 lakh as bribe to approve his proposal. According to sources, there was a physical altercation between Nithure and the PA of the minister in office located on the third floor in the Mantralaya annexe.

Badole, however, has denied the charge. The minister’s office argued the officer, Gabale, was not the minister’s personal assistant, but a clerk in his front office.

A clarification issued by the minister stated Nithure's proposal to convert his unaided ashram school to an aided school had been pending since 2009. “The powers to grant aid to them are with the central government. At present there are 322 central unaided Ashram schools in the state and the proposal to grant them approval is pending consideration with the state cabinet. Proposal of Nithure was for a permanently aided ashram school,” according to the statement.

The minister further stated, the proposal had reached his office a day before and the next day Nithure approached his office and demanded the official clear his file, as the same had been sent to the minister. The minister said, Nithure, being of unsound mind, beat up the clerk. “In July this year, during the monsoon session of the state legislature in Nagpur, Nithure had given a notice of self-immolation to the Chief Minister's office,” claimed the minister. He refuted the allegations against him and his personal assistant and stated he would conduct an inquiry into the matter and take appropriate action.

Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, leader of opposition said, “If the beating up of the corrupt personal assistant of the minister for work not done even after payment of Rs 10 lakh is anything to go by, the day is not far off when a similar fate could befall the minister.”

Badole, however, has denied the charge. The minister’s office argued the officer, Gabale, was not the minister’s personal assistant, but a clerk in his front office