ACB Nabs BMC Officers in Rs 2 Crore Bribery Scandal

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a case against a BMC officer, Mandar Ashok Tari, and apprehended two others for demanding a Rs 2 crore bribe from a developer. The case arose from the illegal construction of floors in a building in Ghatkopar East, Mumbai.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has taken legal action against a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officer and arrested two individuals for demanding a Rs 2 crore bribe from a property developer. The bribe was in exchange for not demolishing illegal floors in the developer's building, ACB officials reported on Wednesday.

ACB identified the main culprit as Mandar Ashok Tari, a designated officer from the BMC's K East Ward office in Ghatkopar East.

On Tuesday, ACB caught two private individuals, Mohammed Shahjada Yasin Shah and Pratik Vijay Pise, both aged 33, accepting a Rs 75 lakh instalment of the bribe. It was revealed that Tari had approved accepting the bribe. The developers had constructed two unauthorized floors in their four-storey building and were offered to be spared demolition for the bribe.

The developer, however, reported the matter to the ACB on July 31. A verification process by the anti-graft agency confirmed Tari's involvement. Subsequently, Shah and Pise were caught in a strategic trap while collecting the Rs 75 lakh bribe instalment.

A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against Tari and the two apprehended individuals. Investigations are ongoing.

(With inputs from agencies.)