Mumbai: The special ACB court has awarded a BMC supervisory inspector three-year imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 2 lakh for accepting bribe of Rs 81,500.
According to public prosecutor Rajlaxmi Bhandari, accused Sandeep Nagare had seized a tempo belonging to Ashok Sarwade, a proprietor of a transport firm, on November 21, 2013, for evading octroi. Nagare demanded Rs 2.16 lakh as octroi duty and fine to release the vehicle.
Subsequently, Sarwade contacted octroi agent Mukesh Thakur, who then spoke to the accused. The prosecution alleged that Sarwade was given two options; either to pay the legal amount or give Rs 1.3 lakh.
He was told that of Rs 1.3 lakh, Rs 49,000 would be accounted for in official receipts towards octroi, while the remaining Rs 80,000 would go in Nagare's pocket, said the prosecution.
Subsequently, Sarwade approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and on December 10, 2013, Nagare was caught red-handed, while taking the money.
During trial, Bhandari examined 15 witnesses to prove charges, while the defence contended that there was no evidence to prove that the accused made such an offer. Refusing to show leniency to him observing, “The commission of offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act amounts to commission of economic offences.”
Such an illegal act ruins the image of the government or the local authority as the faith reposed by the citizenry on the public servants is breached, the judge remarked.
