ACB books director for taking Rs 13L bribe

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) booked a director and three others for taking a Rs 13 lakh bribe for recruiting a candidate as a clerk in his education institute. ACB registered a case against four persons including the director after six months.

The accused have been identified as Panduran Digambar Bhagnure, Kantilal Babulal Pande (N-12, Hudco), Vilas Ramdasrao Wakode (Gadiya Vihar), and a woman.

According to the details, Bhagnure and the accused woman live at Raosaheb Patil primary and secondary Ashram School run by Chaitanya Shikshan Sanstha at Chijkalthana.

The accused demanded the complainant Raju Aasaram Badvane (40, New Hanumannagar) a bribe of Rs 13 lakh for getting a job for his daughter as a clerk in the school and to get the post sanctioned by the education department. As Badvane was not willing to give the bribe, he lodged a complaint with ACB.

As decided, the secretary of the institute Bhanure took two cheques of Rs 5 lakh each from Badwane and Rs 3 lakh cash (which included Rs 2.90 lakh fake currency used for trapping and Rs 10,000 original currency) on December 10, 2022. The ACB team immediately arrested Bhagnure redhanded while accepting the bribe and seized the cheques and the cash. However, the department had not registered any case against the accused.

ACB SP sought legal advice from a legal adviser on whether ACB has the right to execute an action against the private education institute. As the adviser gave the advice in affirmative, A case was registered with Cidco MIDC police station on May 20, informed ACB SP Sandeep Atole.