ACB fear triggers staff absenteeism; additional tehsildar Garje missing for a month

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Mounting pressure from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has triggered widespread absenteeism among government staff, with several employees choosing to skip work rather than face possible interrogation. At the deputy tehsildar's office, attendance has plummeted, further raising concerns.

Suspended additional tehsildar Nitin Garje, a key figure in an ACB case, has been missing for over a month. His disappearance follows a May 15 trap in which officials caught Nitin Chavan and an aide accepting a bribe allegedly on Garje's behalf. On May 27, resident deputy collector Vinod Khiroalkar was nabbed red-handed with cash, followed by the arrest of clerk Dilip Tribhuvan. Prior to that, supply inspector Kanchan Kamble was trapped on May 24.

Staff speak of a tense environment.

"Garje vanished weeks ago. Even uninvolved staff are under pressure. One officer was hospitalized after a spike in blood pressure due to ACB stress," said an employee, requesting anonymity. Though accused often claim bribe money is routed to seniors, no solid proof like chats or middlemen has surfaced yet. The ACB is tightening its probe on such leads.

What next in the Khiroalkar case?

Questions loom over the department’s internal links. Who is "K.M.", allegedly close to Khiroalkar? Why hasn’t he been questioned? How many land conversion files from Class 2 to Class 1 were sanctioned under him? Sources reveal an inquiry is underway into one controversial file involving a local businessman. A large deal was reportedly in process but collapsed after the bribery bust.