Dilip Khode’s phone may expose Mantralaya’s many dark secrets

Nagpur: The call details of Dilip Khode, now in the custody of the state anti-corruption bureau (ACB), may expose deep-rooted corruption in Mantralaya.
Khode was arrested on March 28 while accepting a bribe of Rs 25 lakh from senior regional transport officer (city) Ravindra Bhuyar at Ravi Bhavan.


While Khode was nabbed, his co-accused Shekhar Bhoyar, who had contested the graduate constituency polls in Amravati, is at large.
Khode and Bhoyar were allegedly demanding Rs one crore from Bhuyar to stop a member of the legislative council (MLC) from raising the issue of two women colleagues who lodged complaints against the RTO official.
ACB sources stated that the MLC’s presence at Ravi Bhavan has been captured in a CCTV footage which is being recovered as part of the investigation. “The MLC was present during the verification of the trap. Later, he told Khode to ‘keep the documents’ when the accused was accepting the bribe,” said ACB sources.
Sources added that Khode, an electrical technician at the Yavatmal subdivision of MIDC, is close to several top bureaucrats, officers-on-special duty (OSD) and close aides and support staff of many ministers especially in the earlier governments.
Khode was also said to be in touch with the retired RTO official who is also the prime suspect in the probe conducted by city police’s special investigation team (SIT) formed by CP Amitesh Kumar to probe the ‘cash for choice transfer’ which came to the fore after an audio leak.
The suspect had checked into a hotel and met the incumbent RTO personnel who wanted a choice posting. “Around 28 statements have been recorded by the SIT,” said a source, adding, developments are being closely monitored by the CP.
A senior source from ACB stated that Khode’s call details are yet to be analyzed and his other contacts in Mantralaya would be scrutinized closely in the due course of investigation. “Prima facie, it’s a fact that he was close to some top bureaucrats and support staff of many politicians like their personal assistants or secretaries as per his cellphone’s contents but exactly what was their nature of conversation or purpose for such communication will have to be found out,” said the official.
Full report on www.toi.in