Probe into corruption allegations against Maharashtra IAS officer Mopalwar will continue

Johny Joseph, former chief secretary heading the committee examining the case against Mopalwar said the recent events would not have a bearing on the probe

The arrest of private detective Satish Mangale and his wife Shraddha has given the disproportionate assets and graft allegations against senior IAS officer Radheshyam Mopalwar a new twist. But, the probe against him will continue.

Shraddha Mangale was held for trying to extort Rs7 crore from Mopalwar on Friday. (Praful Gangurde)

Mangale had accused the Mopalwar of rampant corruption by submitting 35 audio clips of conversations between himself and Mopalwar over two years. The clips included 150 recorded calls between the two.

Mopalwar was relieved from his post as managing director and vice chairman of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), following Mangale’s claims. An inquiry was set up to look into the clips.

“The probe deals with their audio tapes and their authenticity. We will complete our investigation and submit a report,” said Johny Joseph, former chief secretary heading the three-member committee examining the case against Mopalwar .

He said the recent events would not have a bearing on the probe.

The clips point to a rampant culture of corruption in the state secretariat and administration and make references to big builders, politicians and officials. However, they have not been authenticated and Mopalwar has called them ‘doctored’.

“I am waiting for the report and will abide by the government’s decision on it,” said Mopalwar .

He said he wanted to prove that the allegations against him were made only to extort money and were successful in doing so. “Since the past year, I have been telling people that the claims were made only for extortion purposes, but no one believed me. So, I decided to prove it on my own,” Mopalwar told HT.

He said this took time as Mangale had demanded bribes through others. “I told him to approach me directly if he wanted money. We met twice — October 23 and 31 — and I video-recorded all our conversations. The money was delivered yesterday and they were caught red-handed,” Mopalwar added.