Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Corruption charges have once again surfaced against Additional Tehsildar Nitin Ramesh Garje ( My Home Society, Shahnoorwadi), who allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 3 lakh to issue favourable orders in five land area correction files. Acting on a complaint, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday evening arrested two of his agents Nitin Dhuma Chavan, a local middleman, and Sohail Zuber Bahashwan, a tehsil office parking attendant while accepting Rs 60,000 as part of the total bribe.
According to the ACB, the complainant a 50-year-old land dealer had purchased land in Mitmita. During the mutation process, the recorded area was shown 9 square metres short. The talathi concerned submitted a correction report to Add Tehsildar Garje. When the complainant followed up, clerk Shivaji Harkal allegedly directed him to "pay Garje sir and me," and referred him to agent Chavan. The agent demanded Rs 60,000 per file for five files totalling Rs 3 lakh.
After approaching ACB Superintendent Sandeep Atole, a trap was laid. Chavan and Bahashwan were nabbed red-handed while collecting the bribe amount on Garje’s behalf.
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Garje escapes; office in chaos
Soon after the arrests, panic gripped the tehsil office. Garje, who was present in his chamber, reportedly abandoned his wallet and bag and fled through the back door. Within minutes, several officers and staff also vacated the premises.
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Caught in 2018, yet reinstated
This is not Garje’s first brush with the law. In July 2018, he was caught red-handed accepting Rs 2 lakh to release a ration-laden tempo in Ahilyanagar. A criminal case was filed at the Kotwali Police Station. Despite the charges, he was reinstated and posted to his current role, allegedly with political support. ACB teams raided Garje’s residence, only to find the house locked on Thursday night. “We have sealed the premises,” confirmed Superintendent Atole.