Pune:
A new record was created for the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) when it recovered Rs 1.68 crore in a raid on the home of a Public Works Department (PWD) executive engineer caught accepting a bribe.
The engineer in question, Vikram Parshuram Jadhav, was arrested for accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a contractor to release the latter's payment. A senior clerk, Yogesh Tarte, was also arrested in the case.
The Rs 1.68 crore was recovered in the raid on PWD Executive Engineer (North Region) Jadhav's Shivaji Nagar residence Flat No 11, Butte Patil Prestige Building, Revenue Colony.
"As we laid the trap at his office, another team led by Police Inspector Radhika Phadake raided Jadhav's residence and recovered Rs 1.68 crore in cash, besides gold and silver jewellery," said Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACB, Ajay Kadam. "This is the first time we have recovered so much hard cash in a raid carried out by the Anti-Corruption Bureau."
Kadam said in the previous big raid conducted by the ACB, Rs 57.97 lakh was recovered in cash, besides gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 11.11 lakh, among other valuables. Kadam said that that raid had been on the Balewadi residence of Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (MSETCL) superintending engineer Subhash Bansal in January.
Jadhav and Tarte were presented before a special court for police custody.
When ACB officials raided Jadhav's residence, three briefcases stacked with Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination currency notes were found hidden in the cupboard in the master bedroom. Two briefcases stuffed with more cash were found in the box of a diwan.
Jadhav and Tarte were caught red handed accepting the bribe from Prashant Shantaram Doke, a resident of Ale Phata in Junnar taluka.
Doke had received a contract for roadwork in Narayangaon and Nimgaon Sava. After completion of the work, Jadhav allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 3.35 lakh to clear Doke's dues.
Doke approached ACB and a trap was laid. The ACB said Tarte's role in the offence was accepting Rs 1 lakh from Doke on behalf of Jadhav.