Maha: Forest guard among two held for taking bribe

The accused - Shivdas Vijay Sonawane 30, a forest guard at Kasa Nursery in Dahanu and Nitin Bhoi, 34, a vegetable vendor - were arrested on Friday by the Palghar unit of the Anti-Corruption Bureau ACB.

A forest guard and one more person were arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 from a man in Palghar district of Maharashtra, an official said on Saturday. The accused - Shivdas Vijay Sonawane (30), a forest guard at Kasa Nursery in Dahanu and Nitin Bhoi, 34, a vegetable vendor - were arrested on Friday by the Palghar unit of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Deputy Superintendent of Police (ACB) Navnath Jagtap said Sonawane had demanded Rs 10,000 from the complainant for allowing him to construct a protection wall around his land located in a forest area, which he paid. However, he again demanded Rs 10,000 from the complainant, following which the latter approached the ACB. Based on his complaint, the anti-graft agency officials laid a trap and caught the vegetable vendor accepting Rs 10,000 on behalf of the forest guard, who was also arrested later. A case was registered against the duo under the Prevention of Corruption Act at Kasa police station in the district, Jagtap said.