FDA officer caught accepting Rs 40,000 bribe

The officer was caught at FDA’s office in Bandra-Kurla complex.

The Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday arrested Pravin Mundhada, assistant commissioner of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), red-handed for accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000.

The officer was caught at FDA’s office in Bandra-Kurla complex. “The complainant, a pharmacist, in his plaint said the matter began when, in 2014, FDA’s inspector had gone to inspect his medical store and he found that the registered pharmacist was not present,” said a high-ranking ACB officer.

Subsequently, the inspector submitted a report calling this a violation under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 to the assistant commissioner of zone 5. “A show cause notice was issued to the complainant asking him why his license should not be cancelled and why should judicial proceedings not be initiated against him. To this, the complainant had submitted a written reply,” said the officer.

Mundhada, then, allegedly demanded bribe of Rs 40,000 to close the file. The complainant then found it fit to approach the ACB. “We verified the bribe allegations following which a trap was laid in his office and Mundhada was caught red-handed while accepting bribe,” added the officer.

FDA sources said enquiries have been conducted in the past too against Mundhada. “There were two departmental enquiries initiated against him on similar allegations in the past and he was also punished. He had also approached the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT),” said an officer. After the arrest, ACB conducted a search at Mundhada’s residence.

The FDA officer will be produced before a court on Thursday while the bureau is trying to find if the accused has amassed any disproportionate wealth or not.