Mumbai: The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has initiated an open inquiry into the Disproportionate Assets of Aarey Dairy Colony Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nathu Rathod. The agency had recently found cash Rs 3.46 crore from Rathod's residence.
"After huge amount of cash was seized from Rathod's residence search, we have initiated an open enquiry into his Disproportionate Assets. There is provision in the law that before registering of an offence an open enquiry can be initiated by the agency. Now that the open enquiry has been initiated, we will go through his bank details, movable immovable properties of him and his family members as well," said an ACB official.
The complainant in the case wanted to repair his house in Aarey Colony area and had met Rathod at his Goregaon office last month to obtain required permissions.
"Rathod had instead directed him to meet guard Arvind Tiwari. In order to get the work done, Tiwari had demanded a bribe of Rs 50,000 from the victim. The victim then approached ACB on May 14 and gave a written complaint in this regard," said an ACB official.
An ACB official said that the accused persons took due measures to ensure they do not come under the radar of ACB officials, however, they were outsmarted by ACB sleuths.
"On May 24, the victim was armed with a digital voice recorder to record his conversation with the accused persons. He first met Tiwari, who took him to a toilet since there were cctv cameras in the building. Tiwari then asked for bribe money and after receiving the money from the complainant, he took the complainant inside Rathod's cabin and said whispered in Rathod's ear, after which Rathod agreed to give permissions to the victim. However, the accused were caught with bribe money in the trap."
our verification of the allegations made by the complainant confirmed that there was a bribe demand. We have caught Tiwari red-handed while accepting money from the victim. The duo was later placed under arrest."
A day after their arrest, the ACB sleuths found unaccounted cash of Rs 3.46 crore from Rathod's residence.
