NMMC top official on ACB radar in graft case

A Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC) in Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has come under the radar of Anti Corruption Bureau’s investigation after the complainant in the ACB case named him as well for demanding the bribe via his staff

NAVI MUMBAI: A Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC) in Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has come under the radar of Anti Corruption Bureau’s investigation after the complainant in the ACB case named him as well for demanding the bribe via his staff.

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The complainant in the case, a 38-year-old Junior Engineer, who was working in the Nerul ward since 2011 in the department of Anti Encroachment, was transferred on April 24 to the headquarters under the orders of DMC, Zone II, Amberish Patnigire.

According to his complaint, he had met Patnigire seeking reasons for the transfer and a request to reinstate him, and the DMC had asked him to meet Dinesh Sonawane, a clerk in his office, in Koparkhairane. As per the complainant, Sonawane allegedly told the complainant that Patnigire had demanded ₹5 lakh and after he pays the amount, his transfer would be revoked.

The complainant had then approached the ACB with his complaint. After ACB verified the claim of the bribe demanded by Sonawane, they laid a trap and handed over the money to the complainant after following a procedure. The complainant handed over the cash amount to Sonawane that he took and went inside a cabin to count. Finding that the amount was less than ₹5 lakh, he came out and told the complainant that he should not be cheating him this way. The complainant then signalled the ACB team, which nabbed Sonawane with the money.

“Patnigire’s name has cropped up in the FIR and we are interrogating him as well. Till now, nothing concrete has been found and no other arrest has been made. We would be soon sending our report to the NMMC as well,” said Deputy Superintendent Shivraj Mhetre from Navi Mumbai ACB unit said.

Meanwhile NMMC Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar said, “Since the incident happened on Friday and our office was not working for three days after that, we have not received any formal report from ACB yet. Once we receive it, a departmental enquiry would be initiated against those mentioned in the report. As per the protocol, one would be mandatorily suspended if remanded to police custody for more than 48 hours. As per our protocol even after the departmental enquiry, the report of the same would be sealed till the court case goes on.”