Taluka agriculture officer arrested while accepting bribe of Rs 50,000 in Maharashtra

NASHIK: The Nashik Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Maharashtra on Friday arrested a 42-year-old taluka agriculture officer while accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from a manufacturer of agricultural machinery.
The process of registering an FIR against the Class 2 gazetted officer in Sinnar is under way.
The complainant is in the business of manufacturing industrial machinery and equipment.
On purchasing the machinery and equipment purchased from the manufacturer, the farmers also get a subsidy from
the agriculture department.
However, of late the taluka agriculture officer had been impressing upon the manufacturer that the subsidy to the farmers was no longer applicable on the purchase of machines and equipment from him.
The officer had demanded a bribe of Rs four lakh from the manufacturer so that the subsidy to the farmers on the purchase of his machinery and equipment could be resumed.
The officer had eventually settled for Rs two lakh.
The manufacturer then lodged a complaint with the ACB after which a trap was laid and the officer was arrested at the time of accepting Rs 50,000 from the manufacturer as the first installment of the bribe.
The trap was successfully made by a team of the ACB Nashik led by deputy superintendent of police Abhishek Patil.
Nashik superintendent of police, ACB, Sharmishtha Gharge Walavalkar guided the team for the successful trap.