Two held for accepting Rs three lakh bribe

Thane: Police today arrested two persons including the District Malaria Officer (DMO) for allegedly accepting Rs three lakh as bribe from the complainant.

“The complainant, a 24-year-old man in 2014 had obtained an employment in the health department under the sportsman quota,” Thane Range ACB Superintendent of Police SP Sangramsingh Nishandar told PTI.

“However the Sports Directorate rejected his sports certificate. Following this, the DMO Deepali Nasre (43) had issued a show-cause notice to dismiss him from the service,” Nishandar added.

According to the officer, the complainant obtained a stay order from the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) on the DMO’s order.

“Even then, the DMO and the head clerk Umesh Kadam threatened to dismiss him from service and demanded Rs 3.50 lakh for not going ahead,” he added.

After negotiations, the duo settled for Rs three lakh.

Following a complaint, a trap was laid this afternoon in the premises of the District Collectorate and the duo was nabbed while accepting the bribe, the SP added.

A case under relevant sections of The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was registered, the officer said, adding a probe was on.

—PTI