KDMC graft case: Sanjay Gharat granted bail

Gharat was suspended on the same day when he was caught accepting a bribe, according to the ACB

Sanjay Gharat, the suspended additional municipal commissioner of Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) was given bail by a Kalyan court on Friday.

KDMC additional commissioner Sanjay Gharat was arrested by the Thane Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on June 14 along with two clerks of the civic body in a ₹8-lakh graft case. (HT Photo)

Sanjay Gharat, 51, was arrested by the Thane Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on June 14 along with two clerks of the civic body in a ₹8-lakh graft case. “He has been given bail by the court on Saturday. However, he will be released after completing the court’s proceedings. He will have to co-operate with the police for any further inquiry in the case,” said Deepak Dalvi, deputy superintendent of ACB, Thane.

Gharat was suspended on the same day when he was caught accepting a bribe, according to the ACB. Following his arrest, the Thane ACB has been looking into his properties and other assets but has been tight-lipped about the findings.

“Followed by his [Gharat’s] arrest, two clerks were suspended with immediate effect,” said Govind Bodke, commissioner of KDMC. The clerks who have been held are Lalit Amre, 42, and Bhushan Patil, 27.

According to the ACB, the bribe was sought for not demolishing a seven-storey illegal building in Kalyan. A total bribe of ₹45 lakh was sought, which was negotiated down to ₹35 lakh. The ₹8-lakh bribe accepted was the first instalment of the total amount.

The complainant had approached the ACB on May 25, stating that Gharat had sought a bribe for ignoring his unauthorised construction. On three occasions in the first two weeks of June, it was verified that the clerks working at the Gharat’s behest were indeed seeking money. Subsequently, a trap was laid on Wednesday, at around 3.15pm, and Gharat was caught.

Lakhs of residents continue to live in illegal structures across Kalyan and Dombivli, which activists say have mushroomed because of corrupt KDMC officials, who formed a nexus with developers.