Kalam-Patil was under watch or corruption

Vijay Kalam-Patil, Mumbai’s one-time ‘demolition man’ and top state housing agency officer, recently arrested for taking a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh from a developer, was already on the corruption wing’s radar.

Vijay Kalam-Patil, Mumbai’s one-time ‘demolition man’ and top state housing agency officer, recently arrested for taking a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh from a developer, was already on the corruption wing’s radar.

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Kalam-Patil, joint chief executive officer of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Develo-pment Authority’s Repair Board, was netted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on September 10.

ACB sources told Hindustan Times on Monday that the state ACB’s Aurangabad unit had conducted an open inquiry against Kalam-Patil during his tenure as additional collector of Aurangabad.

The inquiry followed a series of corruption allegations against him, but he came out with a clean chit.

This time, Kalam-Patil has been granted bail following his arrest, despite the fact that he was caught while accepting the bribe, along with his subordinate Vijay Petade, who too is out on bail.

The ACB had asked for his custody (for four days) to facilitate the probe. The court rejected this. The ACB insists it has a strong case. “We have enough evidence to prove our case. The granting or rejecting of bail is left to the courts. We have a very strong case against the two,” a senior ACB official said, requesting anonymity.

He pointed out that the execution of the trap is well documented and supported by witness corroboration. He added that phone records have clearly established the “deal”, and voice samples have been sent to the forensic science laboratory for further corroboration.

The ACB on Monday sealed four of Kalam-Patil’s bank accounts in Mumbai, and another in a bank at Aurangabad.

Property documents and investment papers seized during searches of his houses at Dadar and Aurangabad will be verified by questioning him, ACB sources added.